Wood River Police Welcomes New Patrolman, Promotes Sergeant

Wood River City Council Meeting

WOOD RIVER - Two Wood River police officers were honored at this week’s City Council meeting, with one taking the oath as a patrolman and the other being promoted to the rank of sergeant.

Chris Barnes was officially sworn in as a patrol officer on Monday, while Officer Bryan Brown took the oath for his new position as Police Sergeant.

Barnes said shortly after being sworn in that he plans to stay with the department until his retirement: “I’m excited to be here, and I’m ready to retire from here - so I’ll be here a while,” he said.

After taking their official oaths and having their badges pinned on, Barnes and Brown were met with applause from attendees before taking a few photos.

Both were also congratulated by the department after the meeting.

“Congratulations to Sgt. Brown and Officer Barnes!” the department announced Monday night. “We are very fortunate to have each of you protecting our city!”

A full recording of the Nov. 18, 2024 Wood River City Council meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.

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