COMMENTARY-- Gangs Part 2

The Round Lake Area had traditionally benefited from many multi-jurisdictional efforts such as the Lakes Management Commission, Chamber of Commerce, the Round Lake Area Park District, parades and events. It is a little know fact among many area residents that the Round Lake Area police departments have worked closely for a number of years. Recently, the Round Lake Area Chiefs of Police meet and agreed to increase the level of multi-jurisdictional law enforcement efforts.

The Chiefs recognized that their departments are routinely dealing with the same offenders throughout the Round Lake area. For example, a delinquent juvenile who attends the Round Lake High School might live in Round Lake Park and probably hangs out in Round Lake Beach (this is only an example and not meant to indicate that delinquent juveniles live in Round Lake Park). That delinquent juvenile could possibly come into contact with three different police departments. Why should three separate police departments build three separate cases against the same delinquent juvenile? Why not join forces and maximize resources? That is exactly what the Round Lake Area police departments are doing.

Starting this spring, the Round Lake Area police departments will be increasing their cooperative enforcement efforts in the areas of gangs, general investigations, DUI enforcement, commercial vehicle enforcement, boat patrol and areas of CALEA accreditation that the departments share such as dispatch. I applaud these efforts and hope that they will have a positive impact on the limited crime that we have in the Round Lake Area.