The Galesburg Police Department swore in a new officer this morning at City Hall.
Hannah Gaines was hired and is replacing outgoing officer David Salter, who retired earlier this month.
Gaines is the fourth active female officer now on the police force. She tells WGIL she’s from the small Illinois town of Arenzville and is recent college graduate.
“My husband works here in Galesburg, so, we’ll be relocating here,” Gaines says. “I studied in Macomb–Western (Illinois University) for law enforcement. I graduated in May and here I am.”
Gaines says policing as a career wasn’t her original intention.
“I originally thought I was going to do probation,” Gaines says. “But, I thought I didn’t want to be in an office all day, so, I gradually transitioned into policing through the influence of a lot of professors I had at Western.”
The Arenzville native adds that she’s looking to be proactive as an officer and hopes to meet up to the expectations of her superiors.
The addition of Gaines and retirement of Salter should keep Galesburg’s department at a full staff of 50. That was the total last year when two new officers were brought on board.
Capt. Rod Riggs confirmed that number today.
