Knox County, Illinois and Galesburg law enforcement say there's been an unprecedented spike in crime in the area this year. There have been 15 shooting-related arrests in Galesburg so far in 2021, and police say that number is normally in the single digits for this time of year.
The Galesburg Police Department is teaming up with state and federal agencies to address the problem, creating a Violent Crime Task Force. Chief Russ Idle says more officers will be working together with the Knox County Sheriff, Illinois State Police and FBI when necessary.
"Every entity has its own specific skillset and something they bring to the table," Chief Idle says. "We will all put things forward. (It's) not about dollars or money. We'll be bringing various resources at different times so it's going to change based on facts on the ground at the moment."
Chief Idle says it helps them approach each situation with the right resources. None of the departments involved are receiving allocated funds in formation of the task force.
One Galesburg father voiced his concerns during the announcement. He says he's worried about what this means for the community.
"Any time there's an effort by police to do more intense policing, that worries me as a Black man in America, because typically African-Americans bear the brunt of that," Brother Shabazz says.
He says by bringing in outside agencies, he's afraid they won't be accountable to the community in the same way local entities are. He also says he's concerned about state and federal agencies not wearing body cameras. It's something he says was left unanswered after the announcement.
"With some of these entities, we don't know what they're gonna be doing, what their responsibilities are. That's a simple question," Brother Shabazz asked police during the announcement.
Chief Idle did confirm that his officers wear body cameras and the department uses vehicle cameras as well, but he was unable to speak for other agencies.
"There'll be no situations where we're out targeting anyone based on anything other than their behavior and criminal conduct," Chief Idle says. "Everyone will be treated with dignity and respect."
Police say they don't know why there's a spike in crime, and Brother Shabazz says that's the missing piece.
"If you don't know the source of the problem, then how can you put together a decent solution," he says. "You cant just say 'Let's have more police.'"
Chief Idle says there could be various issues currently plaguing the community, like the pandemic, drug abuse, homelessness and mental health issues.
In 2021, there've been 4 homicides so far in Galesburg. The annual average is 0.5 homicides. There have been 18 gun crime-related arrests, and 11 illegal firearms have been seized this year.
Chief Idle says local law enforcement have a message for those violating the law in the community.
"That message is very simple," he says. "We are coming for you. We will arrest you, we will prosecute you and we will put you in jail. We are not going to tolerate these activities in our community."