At Monday night's board meeting, the Village of Park Forest welcomed a new police officer and promoted two others.

The swearing-in ceremony started with the Park Forest Police Department adding Officer Mosa Abughosh. Abughosh was born in Wichita, Kansas, before moving to Palestine. He graduated from the University of Bethlehem with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a minor in marketing.

Abughosh is married and has three children. When he's not protecting and serving the community, he's an outdoorsman who enjoys hunting, fishing, and camping. Additionally, he earned a blue belt in jiu-jitsu and is looking forward to gaining a purple belt in the near future.

After Abughosh was sworn in, Charles Karl was promoted to sergeant. Karl is an eight-year law enforcement veteran who started his career with the Momence Police Department. In 2016, he joined the Park Forest Police Department. After serving only two years on patrol, Karl was selected as the department's sole K-9 handler. 

In 2018, Officer Karl and K-9 partner Tucker graduated from the Macon County K-9 Academy in downstate Decatur. He continued to serve as a K-9 handler before retiring Tucker in 2023. 

Karl is a decorated officer who has received numerous awards, including the Medal of Valor in 2018 and Officer of the Year in 2021. He's also the recipient of two Life Saving Awards, three Term Awards, and over 20 Outstanding Service Awards.

To conclude the swearing-in ceremony, Jon Mannino, an 18-year veteran of the Park Forest Police Department, was promoted to commander.

After serving as a community service officer in Park Forest for two years, Mannino began his career as a police officer in 2006. From 2009 to 2011, he was assigned to the Investigations Division on a specialized team focused on narcotics and gang activity. 

In 2011, Mannino was assigned to a D.E.A. task force that focused on disrupting Chicagoland violence, street gangs, and complex narcotics investigations. He left the task force in 2014 when he was promoted to sergeant. From 2014 until 2022, Mannino served as an assistant shift leader in the Patrol Division until being assigned as the support services sergeant in the Administration Division. 

Mannino served in this role for nearly two years before being promoted to commander in May. He was the 2009 Officer of the Year and has received three Term Awards, a Meritorious Service Award, a Life-Saving Award, and over 20 Outstanding Service Awards throughout his career. He is currently working toward a bachelor's degree in public administration.