Stay Connected to City of Peoria, Illinois

Inside The City | May 2025

City of Peoria, Illinois sent this bulletin at 05/01/2025 07:55 AM CDT

View as a webpage / Share

Edition #8

May 1, 2025

A painted bison sculpture to celebrate Peoria County's bicentennial anniversary sits in Peoria City Hall.

Welcome Back to Inside the City!

This is your monthly home for stories, news, and info about the City of Peoria.

Every month, we offer a feature story that puts a spotlight on a different department, as well as information on upcoming events and important reminders from Human Resources. Plus, we welcome new employees to the city and celebrate milestone anniversaries from our longest-serving employees.

This month, our feature takes you inside the Peoria Police Department's Recruitment Team and shows the significant impact that it has made in a short period of time. We also have details to share on Teladoc Health, a National Volunteer Month event, and cyber security tips for making online payments, along with some of our top social media posts from the past month.

Officer Chris Collins and Officer Ciara Barker of the Peoria Police Department Recruitment Team pose together.

Full-Time Ambassadors: Inside the Peoria Police Department's Recruitment Team

In recent years, there have been a lot of changes and challenges within policing.

But, while many police departments across the country have faced staffing shortages, the Peoria Police Department has steadily grown, recording a noticeable increase in recruitment numbers over the past several years.

When Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria took over the department in 2021, Peoria had fewer than 190 police officers. After swearing in 17 new officers in late April, the Peoria Police Department now has 228 sworn officers.

That puts the department at capacity, with room to spare for upcoming retirements by veteran officers, possible dropouts during the extensive training process, or other personnel changes.

Echevarria says that Peoria Police Department’s Recruitment Team has played an instrumental role in helping the department reach this point.

“Our Recruitment Team,” he said, “has done a phenomenal job.”

Read The Full Story!

Benefits Board

Are You Eligible to Use Teladoc Health?

If you are enrolled in the City of Peoria’s health insurance plan, you are eligible to use Teladoc Health. Teladoc is a high-quality care experience -- available anytime, anywhere.

To get started, visit teladochealth.com and click "register now."

Teledoc Health offers:

A virtual office visit for non-emergency care
Ability to connect by phone, video or mobile app
24/7 assistance
A network of board-certified physicians
Prescriptions sent to your pharmacy

Cyber Security Station

Stay Smart with Payments

Cybercriminals are always on the hunt for financial data, and payment fraud is one of the fastest-growing cyber threats today. Whether you're making purchases online, managing vendor invoices, or handling internal payments, staying vigilant is key to protecting the city's finances.

🔹 Double-Check Payment Requests: If you receive an unexpected request to change bank details or send a payment urgently—pause and verify. A quick call to a known contact can prevent a costly Business Email Compromise (BEC) scam.

🔹 Watch for Red Flags: Be cautious of:

Generic greetings like "Dear User"
Poor grammar or unusual phrasing
Requests to bypass standard procedures

These can be signs of a fraudulent email.

🔹 Use Secure Payment Channels: Only process payments through approved systems. Never send sensitive financial information over unsecured email.

🔹 Verify Links and Attachments: Before clicking on a link or opening an invoice attachment, confirm it’s from a legitimate source. Hover over links to preview URLs and report anything suspicious.

🔹 Keep Vendors in the Loop: If you spot fraud involving a vendor’s email, let them know. They may not be aware their account was compromised.

Let’s work together to keep payments secure—when in doubt, verify before you pay!

Attendees of the National Volunteer Month special luncheon pose with guest speaker Jacob Jenkins of Serve Illlinois.

DEI Education

Honoring National Volunteer month: Finding Our "Big Why"

In celebration of National Volunteer Month, the Equal Opportunity Office and PeoriaCorps team had the privilege of attending a special luncheon where keynote speaker Jacob Jenkins, representing Serve Illinois, delivered an inspiring message on the importance of “Knowing Your Big Why.”

Jenkins shared powerful reflections rooted in his upbringing in East St. Louis, where his mother, despite limited means, selflessly nurtured her community. Her example laid the foundation for his own commitment to service—a passion that became his “Big Why.”

His story resonated deeply with the Equal Opportunity Office and PeoriaCorps team. Like Jenkins, our team is driven by a purpose grounded in service. Each day, through our collective efforts, we work to uplift and empower the communities we serve. Our “Big Why” lives in every act of support, outreach, and impact that we create together.

Members of the Equal Opportunity Office and PeoriaCorps pose for a photo with Jacob Jenkins of Serve Illinois.

Recent Events

Crowd of community members take in a speech at the Peoria Fire Department's 150 Year Anniversary Celebration

Peoria Fire Department Celebrates 150 Years of Service

On Tuesday, April 29, the Peoria Fire Department welcomed the public to Fire Central to celebrate 150 years of fire service in Peoria, Illinois.

Community members came together to learn more about the department, get a close look at the apparatuses – including a 1931 Ahrens-Fox Engine Pumper from Wheels O' Time Museum that was used by the department in the mid-20th century – and enjoy some cake and refreshments with PFD staff.

Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger gave an overview of the developments and events that have shaped PFD’s history and paid tribute to everyone who has served the department.

“Thank you to the generation after generation of skilled and dedicated firefighters facing the unknown dangers and risks to wear the badge of honor as a city of Peoria firefighter,” he said. “Here’s to the next 150 years of service to the Peoria community!”

A man, Peoria Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger, gives a speech behind a decorative podium.

A 1931 Ahrens-Fox Engine Pumper from Wheels O' Time Museum that was used by the department in the mid-20th century

A young girl sits with her hands on the wheel of a fire apparatus while another child peers around her.

Three Peoria firefighters pose together in the garage at Peoria Fire Central.

A composite of the 1895 Peoria Fire Department personnel.

Some takes a slice out of the Peoria Fire Department's 150 Year Anniversary (1875-2025) cake.

City staff members and neighbors pose with garbage pages during the Great American Cleanup

City Staff Participates in 2025 Great American Cleanup

On Saturday, April 26, Community Development and city staff met up with community members to participate in the the 2025 Great American Cleanup, a nationwide event that focuses on community beautification! Thank you to all the staff members who took time out of their day to make Peoria beautiful!

The finished product of the painted bison sculpture stands in artist's basement, with a drawing of the design on the ground.

City Welcomes Bison to Celebrate Peoria County’s 200th Anniversary

The City of Peoria welcomed a special guest to City Hall this month. A beautifully painted fiberglass bison by local artist Hattie Lee Mendoza made a grand entrance and will be residing on the first floor to celebrate Peoria County’s 200th anniversary – its bicentennial.

Mendoza’s design was selected by the city’s Public Arts Advisory Commission last fall. She created the piece after speaking with people throughout the city to help incorporate elements that represent specific cultural groups and highlight the importance of diversity.

Her work includes references to the French, German, Scotch-Irish, Mexican, and Cherokee cultural heritages, as well as the Peoria tribes (Peoria, Piankashaw, Wea, and Kaskaskia), and others.

If you haven't yet, stop by City Hall between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday through Friday to see Mendoza’s incredible work in person! Here are some photos from throughout the process:

The City of Peoria's beautifully painted bison sculpture sits on the first floor of City Hall.

The bison sits outside, all-white with the exception of three gold circles, early in the painting process.

The bison sits outside after being painted solid colors on a tarp.

Artist Hattie Lee Mendoza smiles while painting details on the bison and holding a paint palette.

The artist's hand carefully applies brush strokes to gold circle on the bison.

Artist Hattie Lee Mendoza paints details of the bison design with her back to the camera and a paint palette in her hand.

Upcoming Events

Peoria City/County Joint Commission on Racial Justice and Equity is hosting a State of the Commission Meeting on May 1 at 6 p.m.

Joint Commission on Racial Justice & Equity Holding State of the Commission Program to Start Off Month

The Peoria City/County Joint Commission on Racial Justice & Equity will host its annual State of the Commission program on Thursday, May 1 at ART Inc., 919 NE Jefferson Ave.

Doors open at 6 p.m., with the program running from 6:30-8 p.m. Heavy hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and beverages will be provided.

The commission will present its highlights from 2024 and plans for 2025. Mayor Ali and Peoria County Board Chairman James Dillon will present opening remarks, and the program will include a town hall-style, question-and-answer panel featuring commission members and local officials.

For more information on the commission, visit https://www.peoriacounty.gov/1089.

PeoriaCorps is hosting a graduation ceremony on Friday, May 2 at Twin Towers Mall (456 Fulton St), Room 420.

PeoriaCorps to Host Graduation Ceremony on May 2

PeoriaCorps is hosting a graduation ceremony for its 11th cohort on Friday, May 2 at 1 p.m. in Twin Towers Mall, Room 420, 456 Fulton St.

PeoriaCorps staff, in coordination with Serve IL and AmeriCorps State and National, will honor five graduating AmeriCorps members of the program, Kendall Hood, Bradley Miller, Teryn Thomas, Steed Weeks, and Daighla Williams. During their program, they earned their OSHA 10 certification for General Industry and CPR First Aid certification, completed forklift safety training through Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois, and finished the program with 4,500 hours served.

Launched in October 2017, the PeoriaCorps Program aims to provide a rewarding, service-based experience, career track, and opportunities for unemployed workers 18 years and older. Corps members have the opportunity, through hands-on training, to gain skills in environmental beautification/stewardship and green landscaping solutions. In addition to field work, members receive classroom training in green infrastructure maintenance and employability soft skills. For the past six months, this cohort has worked on green infrastructure projects that include planting trees, harvesting and planting native plants, and cleaning, weeding, and maintaining green infrastructure installations around the city of Peoria.