New Yorkville cop brings police department to full-strength with 33 officers

YORKVILLE -- The Yorkville Police Department is now at full-strength.

Patrol Officer Jacob Schwartz took the oath from Mayor John Purcell at the Jan. 10 Yorkville City Council meeting, bringing the number of sworn officers to 33, the authorized number for Yorkville’s thin blue line.

Schwartz, of Plainfield, has more than three years experience as a police officer with the village of Wilmington in Will County. The 28-year-old grew up in nearby Beecher, where he graduated from high school in 2013.

“I was always looking up to police officers when I was growing up,” Schwartz said. “It had a positive impact on me.”

Schwartz graduated with a degree in Law Enforcement Justice Administration from Western Illinois University in Macomb in 2017 and from the Illinois State Police Academy in Springfield in 2019.

The new Yorkville officer said he is eager to take on the challenge of serving in a larger community and aspires to become a detective.

Schwartz currently is assigned to the department’s four-month field training program. He is himself a certified field training officer and is certified in drone operations.

“Jacob brings a lot of experience and certifications to us,” police Chief James Jensen said.

Jensen said although the police department has been authorized for 33 sworn officers, that because of budget considerations this is the first time the force has reached that level in four years.