Welcome to the City of Kewanee, Illinois.  I have been a Kewanee Police Officer since 2006 and am proud to now serve as the Chief of Police for the Kewanee Police Department and the citizens of Kewanee.  Our department takes great pride in being a progressive law enforcement agency that focuses on providing a safe environment for our citizens and maintaining an open and transparent relationship with our community. Our department currently consists of twenty (20) sworn full-time police officers, six (6) dispatchers, and several auxiliary police officers.  The different divisions within our agency consist of a Patrol Division, Telecommunications Division, General Investigations Division, Street Crimes Unit, K9 Unit, and a Black Hawk Area Task Force Officer. 

We provide ample opportunities for growth within our organization and have continued education and training for our staff as a focal point.  In-house training for our officers with certified instructors includes tactical room clearing, de-escalation tactics, Gracie Survival Tactics for control tactics, firearms training, and case law updates concerning search and seizure.  
We also like to be on the forefront when implementing law enforcement technology. The Kewanee Police Department embraces these new technologies to provide a more efficient service for our community.  Our agency began using body-worn cameras in 2008 and eventually transitioned to body-worn cameras for our entire department in 2015.  To help maintain that level of transparency with our community, all squad cars, tasers, interview rooms, and officers are outfitted cameras to record our interactions.  

As a lifelong resident of Kewanee, it is with a vested interest that I, as well as our department’s staff, continue to work toward making our city a safe and friendly environment for all citizens, businesses, and visitors.  The Kewanee Police Department realizes that we are not a separate entity, but a vital contributing member of our community.  Positive communication, transparency, and working together with community members to solve problems will allow us to create a positive environment in which the City of Kewanee and its citizens can flourish.  

Nicholas P. Welgat
Chief of Police
nwelgat@cityofkewanee.net
(309) 853-1911   ext. 254