Police Chief Chris Harseim: A Dedicated Leader Who Serves with Care

Coal City, IL — Illinois’s first responders work tirelessly to protect and serve their communities. That’s why Patch and T-Mobile have teamed up to spotlight EMTs, firefighters and police officers who go the extra mile.

This submission comes from Dan Davidson who nominated Chris Harseim of Coal City.

If you know a hero who deserves recognition, we want to hear about them! Click here to nominate a first responder for a chance to be featured in our Heroes Who Serve series!

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What is the hero’s name?

Chris Harseim

What type of work does the first responder do?

Police Chief Coal City

How do you know the first responder?

He’s a friend and I live in coal city

Tell us about the first responder and how they serve the community.

As a friend and longtime resident of Coal City, I just want to take a moment to recognize Chief Chris Harseim. Chris isn’t just our Chief of Police—he’s someone I’ve been lucky enough to know personally. Watching him grow from a patrolman to a detective, then sergeant, and now our police chief, has been nothing short of inspiring. He’s always been the kind of guy who genuinely cares—not just about doing his job, but about the people who live here. Even while serving part-time in Morris, he never stopped showing up for our community. He’s someone you can count on, not just in uniform, but in life. He’s an incredible officer, a loyal friend, a devoted husband, and a proud dad. Coal City is in good hands with Chris leading the way, and I couldn’t be prouder to call him my friend.

What three words best describe the first responder?

Dedicated, professional and caring

We’re fortunate in Illinois to have first responders like Chris Harseim working tirelessly to keep us safe. If you know a local hero who deserves recognition, we want to hear about them! Click here to nominate a local hero to be featured on Patch.

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