Peru police department swears in new officer Casey Wood

Casey Wood was sworn in as a patrol officer for the Peru Police Department during Monday’s City Council meeting.

Wood, a Grand Ridge and Ottawa native, received his associate’s degree from Illinois Valley Community College in criminal justice before transferring to Illinois State University, where he graduated with honors, and received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Wood said he wanted to become an officer after learning about the type of impact he could have and wanted to help the community.

“I really believe in the butterfly effect,” he said. “You help someone here, maybe it helps someone generations down the line in ways you couldn’t imagine. Maybe it influences their life and everything else. If I could do that, that’s what I want to try and do.”

After completing his formal education, Wood worked as a security guard at IVCC for two years, before becoming an officer in La Salle. He attended the Police Training Institute at the University of Illinois and graduated from the academy, where he received recognition for placing in the top 10 students of the class for cumulative grades.

Wood said he applied to work at the Peru Department because he doesn’t want to become complacent and would like something that keeps him on his toes.

“One of the main reasons, is I just wanted a higher call volume,” he said. “You have Walmart and everything else … So, it will just keep me busy. It’s a bigger place.”

Peru Police Chief Sarah Raymond said Wood will be an asset and will be a good addition to the department.

“He’s got two years experience in our area,” she said. “He’s young and energetic. He will fit the mold of the Peru Police Department rather well and he will fit in with all the officers very well.”