Oswego Village president Ryan Kauffman is recommending the appointment of interim Police Chief Jason Bastin as the Village’s next Police Chief. He has served as interim chief since the retirement of former Police Chief Jeff Burgner on June 13. The Village Board will vote on Bastin’s appointment at its September 19 meeting.
“Jason has a strong commitment and vision to serve and protect our community as Oswego’s new police chief,” Village President Ryan Kauffman said. “He is a motivated and visionary leader who brings a solid record of building teams and creating a positive work culture.”
Bastin has served the Oswego Police Department for 18 years in a variety of positions including deputy chief of support services, patrol commander, detective sergeant, school resource officer and patrol officer. He has taken on many additional roles including Kendall County Special Response Team leader, firearms instructor, field training officer, rapid deployment instructor and bike officer.
He has completed leadership courses led by the FBI, Northwestern University’s School of Staff and Command and received a B.A. from Benedictine University. Bastin has also served in many roles with the Kendall County Association of Chiefs of Police, most recently as its president in 2022. He participates in community outreach including the Police Unity Tour, Special Olympics, Shop with a Cop and K9s4Cops. Bastin served as a field medic for the Marines prior to beginning his career in law enforcement.
“I’m honored for the opportunity to serve and protect, with dignity and respect, the residents of Oswego,” Bastin said. “We must continue to build and maintain positive community relationships because our ability to police is dependent on the public’s approval and respect.”
The public is invited to a reception at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19, immediately preceding the appointment and swearing in at Village Hall.
The Village employed a rigorous recruitment process that involved community stakeholder meetings, surveys, interviews and a full-day assessment process lead by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.
—Village of Oswego