The Peru Police Department hired a new patrol officer.

Peru Police Chief Sarah Raymond said this is the final hire for the department as an additional officer was needed because of the city’s growth. She said the hire puts the department at full staff. The hire’s name has not been announced just yet.

With the new hire, the department has 26 sworn officers, which include a sergeant on each patrol, three patrol officers and a cover officer per shift, Raymond said. The new officer will be training about six weeks as he has been a police officer for three years, the chief said.

“In lieu of any further growth in the city of Peru, for now, we are not seeking any further officers,” Raymond said in an email response. “The city of Peru continues to grow and as it does, so will the police department, or at least we hope to.”

The Peru City Council approved the motion to seek new candidates for a patrol officer in April, leading to the new hire. Raymond said having another patrol officer increases the ability for safety and security. In January, she told the council the department was short staffed by two patrol officers. Princeton native, Tyler Wolf, was sworn-in as an officer during the April 8 meeting, filling one of those positions.

In another police matter, the council also approved an agreement with the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police to increase wages for full-time police officers starting April 28 and ending April 30, 2027.

The starting base salary for a Peru officer is $61,954, Raymond said. Starting wage prior to agreement was $61,954, Raymond said. Starting wage now is $72,182.

Peru to install stop signs

A four-way stop sign will be installed at 13th and Pike streets, after the council unanimously approved the item Monday. Chief Sarah Raymond said the city studied this location for some time.

“The current east/west yield sign did not seem to be providing adequate traffic control for this specific intersection,” she said. “It was decided a four-way stop be installed based on our study, which included different speed and stop sign details.”