Law enforcement agencies from around the state will soon have its officers receive free training on combating street gangs, thanks to a new gang partnership Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart initiated Monday.
Law enforcement agencies from around the state will soon have its officers receive free training on combating street gangs, thanks to a new gang partnership Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart initiated Monday. Each year, the sheriff’s office spends millions of dollars fighting gang crimes, so Dart said it made sense to share their training centers and tactics with officers from around the state. “Sharing of resources – particularly in an effort to suppress the spread of gangs – is a critically important function of any law enforcement office,” Dart said. “Gangs know no boundaries. They don’t stop at the Chicago border, Cook County line or even the state line. They will go wherever they can find vulnerable communities and spread their membership.” The Cook County Sheriff’s Department already has a gang unit dedicated to working the streets, while also tracking gang activity inside the Cook County Jail – the single largest jail in the nation with approximately 10,000 inmates, Dart added. Officers participating in this free training program will be partnered with gang officers from the sheriff’s office while they are also brought in on assignments and investigations. ______ Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.