St. Jacob Police Chief announces resignation; leaves Nov. 1

By Bruce Darnell • During a Sept. 3 village hall meeting, St. Jacob Police Chief Gary Kukla announced via a letter to the Board of Trustees that he will resign on Nov. 1.

“It’s just time to retire,” Kukla said a few weeks later. “I’ve been in law enforcement for 45 years and in St. Jacob for six…It’s been an honor and a privilege, but I’m looking forward to some rest and relaxation.” Kukla said his last day as police chief will be Oct. 31.

“I believe we need to put an ad in the paper,” Trustee Derek Ashoff said after announcing Kukla’s resignation at the village hall meeting. Mayor Richard Schiefer said Kukla had already reached out and offered help in finding a replacement.

Kukla said he’s currently waiting for word back from the village’s police committee on whether they want to hire a full-time or part-time replacement. The difference between the two, Kukla said, was only in the number of days worked, and either position will have the same amount of responsibilities as expected of a police chief.

Kukla said those responsibilities are made easier by working with a good group of officers, and also due to the fact that St. Jacob, with a population of approximately 1,500, “fortunately doesn’t have much crime.”

Kukla said there is no residency requirement for the new police chief and a job notice will likely go out on police networks statewide after the police committee has made its decision.