Council approves police lateral hire, new probationary firefighters and $33,000 recruitment contract

The Belleville City Council approved a lateral hire for the police department and hired three probationary firefighters, and it approved a $33,000 agreement with The Forest Group LLC for a police recruitment strategy that will be funded through a state grant and asset forfeiture funds.

The Board of Fire and Police Commission asked the council to approve the lateral hire of Reese Wilkerson, effective July 22, 2025, and the probationary firefighter appointments of Brady Bridal Nowak, Matthew Lorton and Alexander Fish Fitch. The council approved those personnel actions by roll call vote.

Separately, the council approved an agreement with The Forest Group LLC for a comprehensive recruitment strategy for the police department in the amount of $33,000. Meeting remarks list the funding sources for that agreement as a state grant and asset forfeiture funds.

Why it matters: Staffing and recruitment contracts affect department capacity and budget allocations. The recruitment agreement explicitly ties to external grant funds and asset forfeiture dollars, which council members recorded during the motion.

Details: The lateral hire is effective 12:01 a.m. July 22, 2025. The recruitment contract amount ($33,000) and its funding sources were listed during the motions from administration. No changes to headcount beyond the hires approved were discussed.

What was decided: The council approved the hires and the recruitment contract by roll call. No additional amendments or follow-up reporting requirements were stated during the meeting.