Rockton Police Department welcomes new deputy chief

The Rockton Police Department welcomed a new deputy chief at the Village's Nov. 21, 2023 Board of Trustees meeting.

Rockton Police Chief Matt Hollinger thanked  the Rockton Village Board for their continued support. He recognized everyone who was  in attendance in support of Sgt. Justin Jobst's promotion.

Hollinger gave special recognition to former Rockton Police Chief Steve Dickson, who was at the meeting in support of Jobst.

“With  Chief Dickson's retirement a little over a year ago, I have been in the office by myself. No longer will I have to talk to myself, I no longer have the best hair in the office either,” Hollinger jokingly said.

Hollinger added, “We are rebuilding. Since Chief Dickson retired, a few sergeants have also retired. We have hired five new people including three new sergeants since he left.”

Hollinger announced that Officer Penny Cure will be retiring as Hononegah Community High School's resource officer. Jobst and Cure have been with the Rockton Police Department for over 20 years.

“We have done a lot of work,  and we still  have a lot of work to do,” Hollinger said.

“We have made a lot of progress and plan to make even more progress. I know that Justin is onboard to make all of this happen too.”

Hollinger said, “Justin Jobst has been a super officer and a great individual. He has been a great friend and peer to everyone and we certainly are going to appreciate his involvement moving forward.”

Hollinger gave pieces of Jobst's background and accomplishments in law enforcement, including his countless awards and his work in field training, all of which are a large part of what makes him fit for this position.

Jobst's children A.J. and Lilly pinned new badges on Jobst's uniform, then Rockton Village Clerk Christina Stewart officially swore him in as the new deputy chief of the Rockton Police Department.

After taking the oath of office, Jobst thanked the Village president, the Village Board, fellow officers, family and friends.

“I joined the Rockton Police Department in June of 2003, during which time I learned the importance of such things as integrity and loyalty. I promise to remain honest and truthful to you all, and I promise to remain loyal,” Jobst said.

“I will never forget the fact that they took a chance on  a guy like me. I was just a 22 year old kid from Elgin who had just recently left the Navy.”

“Though my accomplishments in law enforcement may be notable, I can never forget the importance of my family,” Jobst said.

Jobst gave a loving and special recognition to Susan, his wife of over 21 years, and their children A.J. and Lilly. He also thanked  his parents and stated how much he values their strong work ethic.

Jobst's duties will include assisting the police chief in planning, organizing, and directing the patrol, investigative, administrative and internal affairs. Additionally he will support service activities of the department and assume responsibility for the department in the chief's absence.

Prior to becoming an officer in Rockton, Jobst was in the U.S. Navy in 1998, serving four years onboard the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) which was stationed out of Bremerton, Washington. He was deployed to Operation Southern Watch in 1998 and Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001. Jobst served as Quartermaster (QM) second class petty officer (E-5) in the navigational department and was the ship's master helmsman during both deployments.

After leaving the Navy, Jobst studied criminal justice at  Rock Valley College.

Sgt. Jobst joined Officer Penny Cure in 2003 at the Illinois State Police Academy.

Hollinger said Sgt. Jobst caught on to the job rather quickly and became very proactive in traffic enforcement.

For many years in a row, Jobst has led the department in DUI arrests and received certificates of appreciation from the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists on multiple occasions.

In 2012 Sgt. Jobst was presented with the HERO Award in Springfield, IL by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for his enforcement efforts. Hollinger estimates that Sgt. Jobst has removed roughly 250 intoxicated motorists from the streets of Rockton.

In 2006 Sgt. Jobst won the Officer of the Year award from the Rockton Lions.

On Tuesday evening, Sept. 19, 2017 Sergeant Jobst was presented with a lifesaving award by former Police Chief Steve Dickson. After receiving a call, officers found a 46-year-old woman threatening to jump off the Blackhawk Bridge. Jobst's quick actions saved her life as he struggled to move her back over the railing onto the roadway where she would be safe.

Sgt. Jobst has assisted as a field training officer and has trained roughly over 25 new police officers. Of the department's current staff, Sgt. Jobst has trained all but three.

Jobst is a member of ILEAS, the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System. ILEAS is a mutual aid consortium of over 900 local governments, formed in response to the September 11 attacks.

His prior assignments included assisting Chicago law enforcement with protests on two separate occasions.

Sgt. Jobst has been a member of the Northern Illinois Police Memorial Honor Guard for the past 19 years.

On Sept. 15, 2017 Jobst was promoted to the rank of sergeant in a moving ceremony held at the Old Stone Church. He was sworn in by former Rockton Police Chief Steve Dickson that night. Deputy Chief Hollinger was Jobst's first supervisor at the Rockton Police Department.

Jobst quickly became a field training sergeant, a general training supervisor, and he had most recently been in charge of the department's incident management systems.

Jobst has also participated in past  Law Enforcement Torch Runs and at Polar Plunges, and has also taken active roles in supporting the Rockton Police Association and the Blues and BBQs event.

Rockton's new Deputy Chief Justin Jobst is certain to excel as he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge into his position.