Earlier this week, the Jefferson City Council hired a new police officer.

Shane Jones is from Van Meter and graduated from Van Meter High School in 2007. The 27 year-old worked on his family’s farm for most of his adult life, but decided to follow his recent interest in law enforcement because he wanted to help people.

“Anytime police can help citizens targeted through like school-age children, anything to help them, is what I’m looking forward to the most.”

Jones has a two-year agriculture degree from Kirkwood, which qualifies him for the shortened law enforcement academy program in Waterloo. Police Chief Mark Clouse says Jones will attend the academy this fall and adding Jones brings his department up to full strength.

“That’s going to be very nice. It’ll make scheduling days off for the other officers much easier on our department. As well as Shane is going through the training process, it also puts another officer out on the street working for us. So again, we’re very excited to get him started.”

Jones will officially start with the police department on March 17th.