The City of Washington swore in its newest police officer Monday.

On his first day on the job Aaron Kephart took the oath of office given by Mayor Jaron Rosien, who acknowledged the ceremony’s timing with Law Enforcement Appreciation Day that occurred the day before. Kephart is a certified law enforcement officer with over 10 years of experience including that of Sigourney Police Chief and most recently as a Keokuk County Sheriff’s Deputy. Aaron is joining forces again with his brother Eric Kephart who has been with the Washington police since 2020. Aaron shares what drew him to the law enforcement profession, “Always like to or wanted to serve in the community that I was in, and obviously it helped with having an older brother, always kind of just following in his footsteps really.”

Rosien gave words of appreciation to Kephart and the department, as this additional hire brings the city’s roster up to 12 officers, “From my vantage point I have tremendous respect for the work that you do. As it varies from door unlocks to courtesy during traffic stops, to assisting people in times of need like emergencies and accidents.”

Chief Jim Lester thanked the mayor and city council for their support in hiring a 12th officer to better ensure enough officers are patrolling the streets while avoiding overtime and allowing for time off. Lester mentioned at a previous council meeting that he hopes to explore available grant funding next year to fund a 13th officer to fully accommodate a schedule of 12 hour shifts with two officers on duty at a time.