Durbin, Bustos Applaud New Task Force to Fight Violent Crime in Winnebago County
[WASHINGTON, DC] – Following today’s announcement of the formation of the Winnebago County Violent Crime Task Force, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL) commended local law enforcement leaders for coordinating their efforts to address violent crime in the Winnebago County area. The new partnership is an outgrowth of a meeting Durbin and Bustos convened with law enforcement leaders in Rockford earlier this year to discuss strategies for coordinating crime fighting across jurisdictions.
“This past spring, Congresswoman Bustos and I met with Rockford-area law enforcement leaders to discuss the importance of effective cooperation between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in fighting violent crime,” Durbin said. “Since that meeting, these officials have worked hard to formulate a plan that enhances information-sharing and coordination between agencies, and I am pleased to see such a plan put in place today. I applaud everyone involved for their ongoing efforts to keep families and communities in Winnebago County safe.”
“Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet with Senator Durbin and local law enforcement leaders from the Rockford area to discuss ways to better collaborate and work together to crack down on the violent crime hurting families across the region,” said Bustos. “I applaud today’s important announcement of the formation of the Winnebago County Violent Crime Task Force. This new regional collaboration will help make Rockford and Winnebago County communities safer for children and families, and better places to live and work, by enhancing partnerships between city, county and federal law enforcement agencies.”
In May, Durbin and Bustos convened a meeting with city, county and federal law enforcement officials to hear about the violent crime facing Rockford and the law enforcement response. The meeting focused on ensuring cooperation between law enforcement agencies on crime prevention efforts and the sharing of important information between jurisdictions. The task force announced today is an outgrowth of that meeting.