La Salle welcomes 2 new police officers

The La Salle Police Department welcomed two new police officers Thursday: officers Alysa Sowers and Jordan Strange.

The officers will begin a 16-week training program to become certified as police officers at the Sauk Valley Community College Police Academy.

Sowers, of Zion, graduated with her Associate of Science degree in criminal justice from the College of Lake County and obtained her bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from Arizona State University.

She said that growing up in a military household and having interactions with law enforcement led her to choose law enforcement as a career.

“Seeing how they help the community and the outreach, that was a big part of it,” Sowers said. “Just being there, helping. You’re there for people’s most vulnerable moments, and that’s how you can help people the most.”

Strange, of La Salle, graduated from Illinois Community College with an associate degree in criminal justice.

I wanted to be like that when I grew up.”

—  Jordan Strange, new La Salle police officer

He said he was inspired to become an officer after his grandparents were the victims of a home invasion.

“I was woken up in the middle of the night, and we found out,” he said. “[It] turns out it was their neighbor. … He hurt my grandpa because he heard my grandma screaming, and he came rushing in trying to help – it later put him in a nursing home.”

Strange said the way in which the officers caught the offender and helped his grandparents made a difference.

“I wanted to be like that when I grew up,” he said.

La Salle Police Chief Mike Smudzinski said the officers begin Monday, and once they graduate, they will go to a field training program for about 12 to 14 weeks.