URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Many police officers across Central Illinois know what it’s like to shift around schedules to accommodate staffing shortages. In Urbana, the deputy chief said their department is adjusting to “accelerating staffing challenges” as veteran officers leave the agency at a pace they “haven’t experienced before.”

Nonetheless, patrol officers are working through the constant ebbs and flows of staffing, and WCIA got an inside look at what a typical night looks like for Sgt. Josh Jeffers, a nine-year veteran of the department.

“Every second is different; we never know what we’re going to do,” the sergeant said. “I could be talking to you now…and who knows what we’ll be doing in the next five minutes.”

That’s exactly why Jeffers loves his career in law enforcement, even if it means starting his day when most of ours ends. He clocks in for the night shift at 7 p.m. and rotates through Urbana’s five patrol zones to help any officer who needs it.

Sometimes, that means addressing community concerns, such as cars speeding through residential areas. Other times, he provides support at traffic stops or responds to unexpected large gatherings.

But Jeffers always enjoys taking time between more urgent calls to connect with young kids who call Urbana home.

“It makes our job much easier,” he explained. “They know our face. They know us, we can talk to them.”

He recognizes the fact that it’s not always easy to make time for quick basketball games or conversations with kids in various neighborhoods.

Zachery Mikalik, Urbana’s deputy chief, said veteran officers are leaving the city for other Central Illinois agencies at a rate they’ve never experienced.

“Replacing those officers takes time. In fact, it takes about one year from the day a new officer is hired to when they are fully trained, working independently, and answering calls for service,” he said.

Data shows 21 officers are currently fully trained and patrolling the streets. But the department needs 36 to be considered fully staffed.

Jeffers is optimistic that this will soon change, especially as four new members prepare to join the agency’s new Community Engagement Team, which the city council approved back in June as part of the city’s 2026 budget.

“We have squad cars, we got everything set up, we just need officers on the street so we can pull from the streets and then put them into those positions,” Jeffers added.

His 12-hour days in the middle of the night can go by pretty fast when he’s constantly on his toes. As soon as he clocks out as “cop,” he clocks in as “dad.” Jeffers has two children at home, who are trying to understand his demanding career at a young age.

“I know when explaining it to my kids sometimes…oh, ‘what’s a bad guy this or a bad guy that…’ it’s not a bad guy and it’s hard for me to explain that to a five-year-old,” he said. “They just had a bad time. They were in a stressful situation, and sometimes that’s intoxication, sometimes mental health.”

No matter the short staffing challenges or dangerous calls he sometimes faces, his passion for policing the city he cares about remains the same.

Jeffers is also part of Urbana’s SWAT team and was recognized with a life-saving award in 2024. A girl was stabbed, and his quick actions of wrapping a tourniquet around her stopped enough blood to keep her alive.