Mendota adds 3 new police officers

Mendota added three new police officers to its department Monday night.

Two men from Rochelle and one from Ottawa will be joining the ranks after graduation from the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy in Glen Ellyn this August. James Shankle, 22, of Ottawa; Ashton Dossett, 21, of Rochelle; and Logan Eppard, 22, of Rochelle, were all sworn in as Mendota’s newest officers.

Officer James Shankle is a graduate of Aurora University where he obtained his Bachelors Degree in criminal justice.

“I’m really excited to serve in the community” Shankle said, “the Mendota Police Department is very community oriented and Mendota sounds like a great place.”

Prior to pursuing a career in law enforcement, Officer Ashton Dossett was a tradesman.

“I’m looking forward to learning all the things behind the scenes” Dossett said, “and to be constantly growing and moving forward.”

Officer Logan Eppard worked in retail before choosing to go into law enforcement.

“This is the community I grew up in” Eppard said, “so I’m really excited to protect it.”

All three officers will have an additional 12 weeks of training in Mendota before being released on solo patrol.