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Urbana police outline community engagement team and partner HOPE program to shift focus from enforcement to services
Summary
Urbana Police presented a new Community Engagement Team—led by a sergeant and community liaison—that will prioritize connecting residents to social services and preventive supports. The city’s HOPE program described outreach results, target-zone data and the use of flex funds for victims and high-risk participants.
Urbana police on Monday described a new Community Engagement Team intended to prioritize resource connection and violence prevention over enforcement.
"The goal of the community engagement team and the violence prevention office is not gonna be used for enforcement," the UPD lieutenant said, framing the initiative as a service-oriented effort that will use data and partner organizations to divert people from the justice system.
The unit will be led by a community engagement sergeant—Antoine Funches—and a community liaison, Dr. Lashonda Cunningham. Police said the team will include two additional officers and incorporate a crisis co-response branch (a behavioral-health detective paired with a clinician) and a community violence-interventionist role. Members will wear distinct uniforms and use a marked vehicle intended to signal a nontraditional, outreach-first role.
Sergeant Antoine Funches…
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