Peru City Council welcomes DePue’s Manny Winfert as Patrol Officer

Manny Winfert was sworn in as a patrol officer for the Peru Police Department during Monday’s City Council meeting.

Winfert began his career with the DePue Police Department. Prior to law enforcement he worked at Planet Fitness in Peru for three years.

He said he transferred to Peru because it’s a faster-paced environment. He also did a ride-a-long with a Peru Police Officer in which he encountered some activity.

“So, it just seemed that I would be able to better learn the law to become a better police officer,” Winfert said.

As a child he used to watch law enforcement shows with his grandmother, which along with his surroundings, inspired him to pursue a career in law enforcement.

“Growing up there was people around me, getting in trouble with the law,” Winfert said. “So, I guess I’ve always been the opposite of what everyone around me was.”

Peru Police Chief Sarah Raymond said Winfert has a lot of ambition and a deep desire for law enforcement.

“You can tell that through his everyday interactions with everybody,” she said. “He wants to know and gain the knowledge to be the best police officer he can be and he’s well on the road to that.”

Winfert said as of now he doesn’t have any advancement aspirations, saying his ultimate goal is just to become a better police officer.

“It doesn’t necessarily matter where I end up,” he said. “I’m sure it would be fun to experience other things, but right now my ultimate goal is just better understanding law enforcement.”