Bourbonnais Police Department introduces its first canine officer

The Bourbonnais Police Department is set to introduce its first canine unit. The official swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Village of Bourbonnais Board Meeting on Monday, November 4, at 5:30 p.m., in the Municipal Center located at 700 Main St. NW.

Sergeant Tim Banks, who has been with the department since 2013, will serve as the handler for Knight, a Belgian Malinois aged five and a half years. Chief Jim Phelps expressed his enthusiasm for this addition to the force by stating, "Our force continues to grow in diversity, and we couldn’t be prouder to welcome Knight to the Bourbonnais Police Department. He will be an exceptional tool for aiding officers in keeping village streets safe."

Sgt. Banks and Knight have undergone extensive training together, accumulating hundreds of hours of practice and fieldwork. Knight's skills include tracking, locating missing persons, apprehension of suspects, and detection of illicit substances.

The Bourbonnais Police Department comprises 26 officers tasked with safeguarding both people and property within the Village of Bourbonnais. The village has a population of 18,164 according to the Decennial Census conducted in 2020 and was ranked as the 38th safest city in Illinois by the National Council for Home Safety and Security in 2020.