Community leaders take part in public safety discussion in Decatur

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Safety and crime were in the spotlight during a public safety discussion Saturday afternoon.

"I think that it is very important for the police department to maintain these relationships with our community organizations." said Lt. Erick Ethell, Decatur Police Dept.

Several members of the community gathered at the Decatur Public Library to take part in the panel discussion put on by the Coalition of Neighborhood Organizations.

"Neighborhood organizations are the beginning of crime prevention. those are the same people who report crime. They are the same people who can provide tips to crimes that have been committed. So, it's important to get as many of those people engaged with law enforcement as much as possible." said Macon County Sheriff Jim Root.

People in attendance were able to ask questions directly to community leaders.

"It's more about building a relationship with people and making sure that they understand that they can provide information to solve crime and get engaged with law enforcement by providing that information." said Root.

"They are very connected with our neighborhoods and understand problems that they are having and keeping those lines of communications open is important to us to help problem solve those issues." said Ethell.

The organization hosting the panel says, safety is always top of mind when discussing concerns in the community.

So the panel discussion was a way to help people get answers to their concerns.

"One is that we need to make sure that they understand that crime is not unique to this community. All communities have crime some have more than others. and I'd like to make sure that we have an honest conversation about some of the root causes of crime." said Root.

The Coalition of Neighborhood Organizations is looking for more people to join their group. If you are interested, they are hosting a meeting Tuesday May 21st at 5:30 pm at the Decatur Public Library.