DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — The badge is often described as a symbol of brotherhood and sisterhood, a family forged through shared sacrifice and service. For four officers at the Decatur Police Department, that bond runs deeper than most.
Two sets of brothers now serve side by side at DPD: Officers Jeffrey and Jon Welton, and Officers Paul and Harry Vickers. While each pair took a different path to the department, the brothers told WAND News the chance to serve alongside a sibling has strengthened not only their work, but their connection to the community they protect.
For the Vickers brothers, the journey to Decatur started with persistence. Paul Vickers joined the department six years ago and spent years urging his older brother to leap from corporate life.
“I started here six years ago, and I always told him, just come down, come down to work,” Paul said. “And finally he did it.”
Harry Vickers, who previously worked corporate jobs in Chicago, said the decision came after realizing it was now or never. He left behind a remote job and familiar routine to start fresh in Decatur. He said he hasn’t looked back.
“Being able to see him every day and work alongside him, the atmosphere is great,” Harry said. “It really is like a brotherhood. It’s like being a part of a team.”
The Welton brothers share a similar sense of teamwork, but their story began with inspiration from a sister. Their older sibling served first and paved the way. Jonathan said she offered a glimpse into the profession that would eventually draw both brothers in.
“She influenced or solidified something that I already kind of wanted to do,” Jon said. “She showed us what it was about and kind of ushered us in. It’s turned into a family thing.”
That family dynamic doesn’t disappear once the uniform goes on. Instead, it evolves, sometimes into friendly competition.
“I think it breeds some friendly competition,” Jon said. “We’re both sitting there giving each other an elbow like, ‘I did that a little better.’ It makes it fun.”
For the Vickers brothers, joining the same department has flipped traditional roles. Paul, the younger sibling, now has more time on the job. It's a shift that Harry admitted has changed how they lean on one another.
“Even though you are my younger brother, don’t let this go to your head,” Harry joked. “But I do look up to you in a lot of ways. I’m asking him, ‘What do I do here?’ The shoe’s really on the other foot now.”
Both sets of brothers say working together brings a unique level of trust. For the Weltons they described it as an unspoken understanding during calls and a shared responsibility for one another’s safety.
“We work really well together,” Jeffery said. “We understand the approach we want to take. A lot of times, we don’t even have to talk — we just know.”
That trust extends beyond blood relations and reflects what officers often describe as the brotherhood of law enforcement.
“You have coworkers, but at the end of the day, you’re looking out for each other in a way some people may not at their job,” Jon said. “You spend holidays together, overtime together — it becomes a family.”
Despite the long hours and difficult calls, both sets of brothers say the reward comes from helping people during their most vulnerable moments and doing it together.
“Getting the chance to help people on their worst days, knowing that we as brothers or as a department can come help those people,” Jeffrey said.
For the Weltons and the Vickers, the bond isn’t just stitched into their uniforms; it’s lived out every shift. Two families, four brothers, united by service, trust, and a shared commitment to Decatur.
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