Lee County
    State's Attorney's Office

  

 

 

        Lee County State's Attorney Paul Whitcombe announced today he has formed the Lee County Organized Crime Strike Force in cooperation with the Dixon Police, Lee County Sheriff, Amboy Police and Franklin Grove Police.  The Strike Force exists to share intelligence on known and suspected gang members and their activities and coordinate law enforcement resources to keep gangs out of the area.  Although Lee County does not have any significant street gang activity at present, law enforcement cannot afford to relax according to Whitcombe.  "The need for the Strike Force comes from two different dynamics," says Whitcombe. "First, the increase in gang-related violence in neighboring counties, including two recent murders, will inevitably spill over into Lee County unless we are extremely proactive from a law enforcement perspective.  Second, we are seeing an influx of individual gang members from the Aurora area moving into smaller communities in Lee County and attempting to organize local youth.  We have always been proactive against street gangs and continue to send a clear message that we will not tolerate them in Lee County."

The members of the Strike Force pictured above
 

    The Strike Force representatives from each agency are Whitcombe, Sheriff John Varga, Dixon Police Detective Dan Langloss, Amboy Police Sergeant Jeff Blake and Franklin Grove Police Chief Tom Lehman.  The agencies share intelligence on the illegal activities of gang members and coordinate efforts to bring them to justice.  They maintain information on who the gang members are, what their gang affiliation is, who they associate with, their criminal history and what their illegal activities are.  Strike Force members then cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of gang members' illegal activity.

    Whitcombe drew his inspiration for the Strike Force from his service with the federal government in the early 90's.  "The Strike Force of the U.S. Justice Department essentially dismantled the Chicago Mob, the most powerful criminal organization in American history.  The cooperation between the U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI, the IRS and other law enforcement agencies led to the successful prosecution of the heir to Al Capone, and then boss of the "Outfit,"  Sam "Wings" Carlisi and the mob never recovered.  That model can be just as successfully applied in our community."  Whitcombe also praised local law enforcement for their success in keeping gangs out of Lee County and their willingness to sign on to the Strike Force.