Marseilles promotes a sergeant, hires first female officer

The Marseilles Police Department is growing.

At the Marseilles City Council meeting on Wednesday night, Police Chief Todd Gordon announced the promotion of officer Dan Ellis to the rank of sergeant and introduced the newest member of the department, officer Caitlyn Barnes.

Commissioner of Public Health and Safety Melissa Small said the promotion of Ellis is “very well deserved” and the hiring of Barnes not only fills the MPD roster, but also gives the department its first full-time female officer.

“I love that we have a woman on the staff, which is a first for Marseilles,” Small said. “Change like that is always a positive as far as diversity and it’s a great inspiration for the young girls in the community, as well.

“And they’re both local people which is always good to have. People that have ties to the community really engage with our town and have the heart to make a difference. They’re invested.”

According to Gordon, Ellis has been with the MPD since 2008 and went full-time in 2009, having since served in the patrol division and several other specialty divisions, including as a tactical, fire and taser instructor, and been a shift supervisor. His sergeant’s badge was pinned on his shirt by his wife, Vicki.

“That I’m from the area played a big role in wanting to be here,” said Ellis, a native of Seneca. “When you’re familiar with an area and the people, it helps you deal with people … Now, I plan on staying here until I’m done. I like the town, I like the people and it’s a great department and I’m looking forward to the greater responsibility.”

Barnes, a native of Ottawa who has several members of law enforcement in her family, had been previously a full-time member of the Peoria Police Department for two years, serving in both records and patrol divisions.

“Being back in Marseilles, it’s definitely different because I am not a city girl,” Barnes said. “Peoria is a little too much city for me, so it feels good to be back around some cornfields … It’s weird to see people I went to high school with, but it’s nice. It’s good to be back.”

Gordon said in the past, the MPD had a part-time female officer available to handle situations that might be gender sensitive.

“It’s nice to have her on staff, and not only for those situations. She a quality officer,” Gordon said. “Sometimes situations need a calming voice and she can provide that. It’s a good thing.”

Reading of meeting minutes dispute

Earlier in the meeting, Commissioner Mike Scheib took exception to Mayor Jim Hollenbeck’s motion to waive the reading of the minutes, something that Scheib has been requesting and receiving for the last several meetings

Scheib said his motivation for asking for the reading was to refresh everyone’s memory of what was discussed and what actions were taken. City Clerk Lesley Hart on the first such request read the hardcopy of the minutes, but subsequently recorded it and played it when asked for the reading.

When questioned by Scheib, Hollenbeck said he believed the reading was “pointless,” “serves no purpose” and “I look at it as harassment.”

“I want to make it clear that my interest in the reading of the minutes is not to embarrass or cause any kind of controversy,” Scheib said. “My interest is so that it is fresh in our minds what we talked about in the last meeting so that if we say something different or if we deviate from what we said we would do, we would be recently reminded of what that was.

“The mayor said that it was a matter of harassment – those are the words he used – and I find that highly inappropriate and highly offensive. My interest was best practices.”