EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State's Attorney Tom Haine announced today the formation of a new Cross-River Crime Task Force to create and sustain a county-wide focus on crime flowing across the river into Madison County. The first meeting of this task force will be held on Friday, April 9.
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This task force will be comprised of law enforcement officials from the federal, state, and local levels, working together to stop individuals from using the interstate highways and bridges to cross state lines and commit crimes in Madison County. The mission of this task force will be to combine the efforts of the different law enforcement agencies to protect our communities and bring these criminals to justice.
"We must have a safe community, and I believe preventing cross-river crime is Madison County law enforcement's most important fight right now," said Haine. "It is an honor to bring together local, county, state, and federal leaders to focus on this pivotal issue. Citizens know cross-river crime is an urgent problem in the Riverbend, and this new effort will allow us all to fight it together."
Haine will be joined at the inaugural meeting by Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, Madison County Sheriff John Lakin, U.S. Marshal Brad Maxwell, U.S. Attorney Steven Weinhoeft, regional agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and chiefs from multiple Madison County municipal police departments.
Haine said the focus of the inaugural meeting will be to discuss practical ideas for this task force and develop working groups, with the goal of the task force being operational by summer.
