PEORIA, Ill. – A town hall-type discussion that aired Thursday night across Peoria television stations looked to find answers to the city’s ongoing violence problem, and talk about options for help.
The broadcast was called “United for Peace: Searching for Solutions” and was aired on WEEK, WTVP, and WMBD-TV.
Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria tells the broadcast he wants to end the violence just like everyone else, and he also wants to cast police officers in more of a positive light, and impresses that upon newly-hired officers before they ever get their badge.
“We work for this community, first and foremost, one,” Echevarria said he tells new officers. “Two, don’t compromise who you are. We have hired you for who you are and what you bring. And, don’t change that. Be you. Be authentic. Be your authentic self. And, treat people how you want your family to be treated.”
Some residents say the chief’s “Walk and Talk” meetings have helped restore some trust in the police, but Echevarria asks residents to give him plenty of time to keep trying to restore that trust.
That may be hampered, though, by last year’s officer-involved shooting in Martin Luther King Junior Park, which remains under a state investigation.
Nevertheless, Mayor Rita Ali tells the program she supports Echevarria, and the police force as a whole. Ali was asked to give herself a grade as to how she’s handling the anti-violence situation.
“I would say I’m doing my best. I’m putting forth a strong effort — working with the community, working with the police, trying to really bring people together, to work together on solutions.”
It may not necessarily be in the area his deputies patrol, but Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins says he’s concerned about the violence that continues to befall Peoria.
Watkins tells the town hall broadcast Thursday one of the ways he’s doing that is through a new jail rehabilitation program.
“We have 300 people that are in our jail right now,” said Watkins. “Anybody that wants help — whether it’s substance abuse, if it’s work skills, life skills, we want to offer that to them, because recidivism is a big deal.”
Watkins, by the way, is holding a Women Detainee Health Fair at the Peoria County Jail Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. that’s a part of the initiative.
Watkins agrees with others who say, reducing the violence is going to take time.
Currently, there are no homicides in the City of Peoria, with only one recorded in the rest of Peoria County. At the start of 2022, there were two homicides within two hours of each other on New Years Day.
