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LaSalle County sheriff outlines SRO placement, staff promotions and jail rehabilitation initiatives
Summary
Sheriff reported an internal leadership change, a potential full-time SRO placement funded by the Serena school system, approval for out-of-state ACA training, and jail rehabilitation efforts including an opioid-settlement-funded treatment video and planned inmate gardening with the University of Illinois Extension.
At the LaSalle County Public Safety Committee meeting, the sheriff announced planned promotions in the department and described several operational initiatives affecting schools and the county jail.
The sheriff said Under Sheriff Jason Martin has retired and will become police chief in a neighboring jurisdiction; Chief Deputy David Ortiz is slated to be promoted to under sheriff and Operations Lieutenant John Dyke to chief deputy pending administrative steps. The sheriff also reported three school resource officers (SROs) currently serve county schools and said the Serena school system has approached the department about funding one deputy to be stationed in that district full time. The sheriff said that deputy would spend most days at Serena and rotate to two smaller districts one day per week each; the school district would fund the portion of the deputy’s salary covering their time stationed there.
The sheriff reported the department provides personnel and overtime support to the city of Streeter for investigations and tactical responses, and said deputies and detectives are frequently donated to assist Streeter following shootings.
On corrections, the sheriff described two rehabilitation initiatives. First, he said the jail produced a promotional video about its drug treatment program using State Settlement (opioid) funds; the video was produced by Matt Klein of LaSalle and will be posted on the county website and used in outreach. Second, the sheriff described plans to create an inmate gardening program: a deputy volunteered to prepare a fenced area, and the department will partner with the University of Illinois Extension to teach horticulture to participants. Produce would be made available to program participants and the public; one idea discussed was planting pumpkins to distribute free to low-income families in the fall.
The committee also approved out-of-state travel to attend the American Correctional Association (ACA) conference in Denver for two jail staff (Jason Edgecomb and Jackie Underhill). Craig moved to recommend approval of out-of-state travel expenses over $1,000 under Ordinance 23-97; Tom seconded and the committee voted in favor.
The sheriff said vehicle bids and other administrative items are ongoing; no additional formal policy changes were adopted at the meeting.
