CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) : Champaign police released their End of Year Gun Violence statistics, and the say the numbers are concerning. 
 
"We weren't surprised it's going to be the highest numbers we've ever seen in the City of Champaign and (they are) certainly concerning," Interim Deputy Chief Geoff Coon told WAND News. "Concern for all the victims that have been unfortunately targeted with the gun violence. Occurred to the family members of the community and businesses that have been impacted, and as well as the men and women of the Champaign Police Department."
 
Champaign police data includes the following; 
259 shooting incidents in 2021, a 37% increase from 2020. 
142 shooting incidents with property damage, a 19% increase from 2020. 
77 individuals struck by gunfire, a 35% increase from 2020. 
16 homicide victims by gunfire, a 60% increase from 2020. 
 
Coon said it was a taxing year for the men and women of the Champaign Police Department.
 
"It is very trying to certainly investigate violent crimes on a frequent basis and nobody gets to into law enforcement, you know, thinking that that's all they're going to do and not that that's everything that we do, but it is a large portion, unfortunately," Coon said.
 
He said the mental health of his officers is important, adding that it's been a priority to him to make sure officers are mentally ready for the new year after the influx of gun violence in 2021. 
 
He mentions officers "get into it for the community caretaking side of things to do the community policing, to do the things that are enjoyable."
 
"As opposed to the traumatic things and we do know that it can weigh on our individual officers and we are, we do our best to to help them," he said. 
 
Now, as the police department gets ready to tackle the new year, Coon said police are ready to continue patrolling and use new tactics to target gun crime, such as license plate readers.
 
"The Flock system that's going to be used with the license plate readers, we're looking forward to see how impactful that can be," he said.
 
He also mentioned police will continue to use the Champaign County Street Crimes task force to target gun crime offenders. 
 
Apart from that, Coon said leaders will continue working through community partnerships in Champaign.
 
"Anybody within the community that can help us build that relationship with the community to help funnel information, to let the community know that they can trust us, to hopefully get some resolution to some of these incidents and reduce this crime wave that's occurring," Coon said. 
 
Ultimately, Coon told WAND News he wants Champaign to be the city it once was.
 
"I want people to start seeing Champaign in a different light again. I always saw it as a destination city within central Illinois," he said.
 
He said the city has grown a stigma through the gun violence and hopes the community gets to a point of feeling safer.  "I'd like to see that paradigm shift to where people get back to join their lives and feel safe."
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