For Yorkville police officer Peyton Heiser, policing runs in his family

For Yorkville police officer Peyton Heiser, policing runs in the family.

His father, Tim Heiser, is a retired sergeant from the Glenview Police Department and currently works at the Aurora University Campus Public Safety Department. In addition, Peyton Heiser’s sister, Taylor Heiser, serves with the Mount Prospect Police Department.

Their father also had worked for the Sandwich Police Department for 3 1/2 years.

“He’s somebody I look up to,” Peyton Heiser said. “That was a profession I thought was notable and I wanted to get into it. I was never somebody who wanted to be in an office for an entire day. I wanted to get out and meet different people and interact with the community. I saw how he did that and that kind of encouraged me to go down that same route, that same profession.”

Heiser, 23, has been with the department since 2022. He grew up in Sugar Grove and is a Kaneland High School graduate.

He has enjoyed his time as a police officer.

“I meet so many new people every day,” Heiser said. “I interact with the community on a regular basis. I’m starting to fill my own shoes here. I have a great team that I work with.”

Heiser applied to work at the Yorkville Police Department because he knows it is a close-knit community. Although he has only been with the department since 2022, Heiser already has had his fair share of exciting calls, including being involved in a foot chase.

“I love waving at kids because they always wave at us when we drive by.”

—  Officer Peyton Heiser, Yorkville Police Department

He also has responded to calls of people driving recklessly or erratically.

“We try and respond to those as well as be proactive and stop vehicles that we believe could be committing that offense,” he said. “That’s something we like to target. Obviously, we don’t need accidents. We don’t want accidents. We’re trying to keep the community and the roadway safe.”

He likes the fact that he never knows what is going to happen from one day to the next.

“One minute, you could be helping to catch a loose dog and then the next moment you could be going to a retail theft or some kind of fight in progress,” Heiser said.

Yorkville Police Chief James Jensen lauded him for his unwavering desire to learn and serve others.

“From the moment Peyton joined us, it was evident that he grasped the true essence of our profession – service to others,” Jensen said. “It is rare to encounter someone as young as Peyton who not only excels but truly embodies the “it” factor in law enforcement. His potential knows no bounds, and we are confident that Peyton has a bright future ahead of him in our department.”

Just like his dad was a role model for him, Heiser also hopes he can be the same for others.

“I love waving at kids because they always wave at us when we drive by,” he said. “If there are kids out and about, I try to interact with them when I can. I try to make the best impression I can and try to be someone that they can trust and look up to.”