New Mount Pleasant Police Officers Formally Introduced

Three new Mount Pleasant police officers were formally appointed at the Sept. 12 Village Board meeting.

Police Chief Tim Zarzecki formally introduced John Garner, Christopher Richardt and Nicholas Willis to trustees and gathered residents. They received a standing ovation as welcome.

Garner is a Mount Pleasant resident who has been working as a part-time police officer for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside after first serving as an EMT at the Wheaton Franciscan All Saints Emergency Room. He received his police certification from UW-Parkside and Gateway Technical College.

Richardt is planning a move to Mount Pleasant in the near future. His prior experience includes working as a Lake County (IL) Probation Officer and completing an internship with the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He has a degree in criminal justice from Illinois State University, and he is currently attending the police academy at Gateway to get his police certification.

Willis is a US Army veteran, honorably discharged in 2010 after four years of service as an Army Ranger. He is a Racine native and continues to live in the city while he also attends the police academy at Gateway to obtain his police certification. Willis' father, David, is retired from the Racine County Sheriff Department.

All three officers officially began their appointments on Sept. 1, 2011.