DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – The Decatur Police Department is having success with its relatively new Community Action Team, also known as the CAT Team.
“We target the worst of the worst,” said Deputy Chief Shane Brandel. “They are a group of what I would refer to as high speed officers who love to go out and do proactive policing.”
The CAT Team is made up of eight patrol officers and two sergeants. They operate as a team on a part time – as needed basis.
During a one-month test period in June and July the team operated full time as an experiment. They exceeded expectations making 29 felony arrests and recovering 14 firearms. They also seized 54 grams of cocaine, 11 grams of crack cocaine, 750 grams of cannabis, 90 grams of methamphetamine and 180 ecstasy pills. The unit also tries to target the worst bad guys and shooters.
“Violent offenders, they cause a significant majority of our problems within the city,” Brandel told WANDs Doug Wolfe. “If you’re willing to pull the trigger you’re willing to be a murderer. And we will to do what it takes to get you.”
