When drivers are pulled over in Lombard these days, they may claim they are seeing double. If they are talking about the police officers arresting them, they just may avoid serious charges.

Jason Chudzinski has joined his fraternal, yet nearly identical, twin brother, Michael, on the Lombard Police Department. The Chudzinskis are following in their father’s footsteps; he recently retired as Deputy Chief of the Calumet Park Police Department.

Jason, who is younger by about two minutes, said the transition into the Lombard Police Department was easier because of his brother. Before he joined the force, Jason said he was able to do ride-alongs with his brother, so the department was already aware of what was coming in the future.

That didn’t stop the quips, however.

“I get the usual joke where people know that they are talking to me but call me Jason anyway,” Mike said. “They think it will be funny to see other people’s reaction when we go on our first call together, which I think it will be pretty interesting myself.”

Even though they work in the same village doing the same job, neither of them feels like he has to work any harder or differently to create his own identity within the department.

“I have always worked hard and tried my best to service this community,” Mike said. “I pride myself in my work ethic and go to work each night with an open mind.”

“My brother has done an exceptional job here in Lombard, but I don’t look at it as a competition; it can’t be,” Jason said. “I just look to model my actions around my brother, trainers and all the other officers.”

For now, one of the easiest ways to tell them apart is to check their left hands: Jason is married and sports his wedding ring, while Mike has yet to tie the knot.

But off-duty, all anyone has to do is check out what football jersey each of them is wearing on Sundays.

“Jason is a die-hard Chicago Bear fan, and I am an even bigger die-hard Green Bay Packer fan,” Mike said. “Can’t get any different than that.”

If Lt. Scott Watkins has his way, those won’t be the only differences.

“Since Jason is a junior in seniority, we’re going to make him grow a mustache,” he said jokingly.

Watkins andthe higher-ups in the department don’t have to worry about them pulling a switcharoo.

“I am sure there would some severe punishment for that,” Jason said.

And besides, Mike said those days are well past them now.

“Just for fun (in grade school) we would switch classes, and I would be him and he would be me,” Mike said. “We eventually got caught, but they thought it was kind of funny themselves.”