EXPERIENCED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER JOINS CALHOUN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE FULL TIME

HARDIN, Ill. — The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office has announced that Deputy Jeremy Gwartney has accepted a full-time position with the department following a new policing agreement with the Village of Hardin.

Gwartney was sworn in as a deputy on May 12, 2026, by Judge Charles H.W. Burch and was initially hired on a part-time basis. He transitioned into the full-time role after the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and Village of Hardin signed an intergovernmental agreement on July 1.

Under that agreement, the Village of Hardin is helping fund a full-time Calhoun County deputy to provide approximately 40 hours of law enforcement coverage each week within the village.

Gwartney brings more than 20 years of law enforcement and public-safety experience to the position. His background includes work in dispatching, corrections, patrol, narcotics investigations and as a K-9 handler. He also previously served for more than two years as a police chief.

Gwartney said law enforcement has been an important part of his life since childhood and that he grew up in a family with a strong background in the profession.

He and his fiancée, Kyla, are raising four children in the Calhoun County area. Gwartney said having his own family in the community gives him a personal investment in keeping local neighborhoods safe and peaceful.

The deputy said he looks forward to building relationships with residents and encouraged members of the community to introduce themselves when they see him on patrol.