PEORIA, Ill. – 52 traffic stops, and nine arrests.
That’s the short version of results from Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria’s latest special patrol as part of his ongoing anti-violence initiative.
The chief says the detail was held Tuesday, and he says there were also citations and warnings issued, along with what he called “a large amount of illegal drugs and currency” being seized.
Some of the drugs and money allegedly came from DeMichael Herring, 30, charged after a traffic stop with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, along with traffic violations.
Another man, Jakob Congdon, 29, was arrested on drug charges after a traffic stop of a vehicle he was in later in the day.
Police say a traffic stop on West Martin Street, near South Western Avenue and Martin Luther King Junior Drive happened just before 6:00 p.m., but John Benson, 40, allegedly drove away at a high rate of speed.
The car later was found on Madison Park, while Benson was found on Millman and Western.
Benson faces charges of Driving on a Suspended License and traffic violations, and is in jail.
“These Directed Patrols would not be as successful without the collaborative effort of our Special Investigations Division (SID), Criminal Investigations Division (CID), Patrol Operations, Traffic Unit, Neighborhood Services Unit (NSU), Crime Scene Unit (CSU) and other police agencies. We all work together with one goal in mind, to keep everyone in our community and surrounding communities safe and protected.” — Chief Eric Echevarria, statement
