New St. Clair Police Officer Isabell (Izzy) Perez takes a few minutes for photos with Judge Tim McNichol, Police Chief Brian McKenzie, her son Jaiven, 3, and her parents, Megan and John Beagle, following her swearing him. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP –During Monday’s meeting of the St. Clair Township Board of Trustees, Police Chief Brian McKenzie requested the trustees approve the resignation of one officer and the hiring of a new officer.

The trustees accepted the resignation of officer Keith Hilderbrand effective April 13 and approved the hiring of Isabell (Izzy) Perez as a full-time officer effective April 21.

Perez will be placed on a one-year probation per the current CBA and successful completion of the St. Clair Township Police Department Field Training program.

She was sworn in by Judge Tim McNichol. Her 3-year-old son Jaiven, with help from her parents John and Megan Beagle, pinned her badge on with approximately 25 family members looking on.

Perez fills the vacancy created by Hilderbrand, leaving the department with one vacancy to fill.

McKenzie said he is excited to have her on the department, and he believes she is going to do good things.

Perez, a 2020 graduate of Lisbon High School, began her law enforcement career as a dispatcher in East Liverpool before going to the Youngstown State University Police Academy where she graduated in December 2024.

She previously worked at Mercy Hospital in Youngstown.

“This is my first road job. I’m so excited about it and really excited to be in my own community,” Perez said. “I know a lot of these guys because I was a dispatcher previously.”

While Perez has always been interested in helping people, it was her time as a dispatcher and seeing first-hand what the officers do and how short staffed they were that sparked her interest in becoming an officer.

“It’s your own community and you want to do something for your own community, so I was like, ‘I want to help and try to be part of a bigger picture,'” Perez said. “I’m definitely ready, I’m ready to go.”

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com