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Kendall County task force credited with reducing summer violent crime, officials say
Summary
Under Sheriff Bobby Richardson told the Oswego Village Board the county9s multiagency crime-suppression detail has produced hundreds of traffic contacts, more than 540 citations and 181 arrests since it began, and that participating officers were deputized to allow countywide operations.
Under Sheriff Bobby Richardson told the Village of Oswego board on July 15 that a new countywide crime-suppression detail has produced substantial enforcement activity and appears to have reduced violent incidents this summer.
Richardson, who spoke alongside Oswego Police Chief Baston and Sergeant Lakowicz, said the multiagency effort 9was organized by county leadership and municipalities including Oswego and Montgomery and involves state police, undercover teams and other partners. "Since this detail started, [we've had] hundreds of traffic stops, more than 540 citations written, and 181 individuals arrested," he said, adding that the task force also recovered stolen vehicles and seized some firearms.
The under sheriff described the operation as a "force multiplier" that allows additional officers to arrive quickly at major incidents without pulling patrol units off other duties. Chief Baston noted the county deputized participating officers to avoid jurisdictional limits, enabling them to operate throughout Kendall County.
Board members asked how the police define a "gang contact." Richardson said the designation is based on a totality of evidence9tattoos, clothing, associates, informant information and documented patterns of behavior9not a single factor. "It's not just that the overt team sees a guy wearing gang colors," he said.
Both Richardson and Baston said the detail 9which has relied on overtime funding9will be evaluated after its initial run to determine whether it should continue. "If we can get everybody to the table and agree that this is something that had an impact, we'll look to budget and continue to budget for it in the future," Richardson said.
The presentation emphasized countywide collaboration and the difficulty of proving prevented crimes; Richardson said many benefits are not directly measurable but are apparent to law enforcement. The board did not vote on any new funding at the meeting; members instead praised the task force and said they would revisit funding and budget options later.
