The City of Peoria is getting an additional $2.9 million in state funding for the police department’s co-response unit for the next year.
The city council voted unanimously Tuesday to accept the grant money through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. The additional funding comes more than a year and a half after an initial $3 million grant in April 2023 that helped the program get off the ground earlier this year.
“We continue to work through this process. It's been a slow, tedious process,” Police Chief Eric Echevarria said prior to the vote. “Things have changed; some legislation has been difficult to deal with on some ends, and then hiring (challenges). But we were blessed enough to again now get (additional funding).”
In a partnership with Carle Health’s Trillium Place, the police department’s Social Services Unit will focus on mental and behavioral health issues and victims services.
“Carle Health Trillium Place has been pleased to partner with the Peoria Police Department to assist with responding to calls that may involve individuals either in a mental health crisis or having a family issue, something that doesn't involve arrest, that may be able to assist with de-escalation,” said Dr. Derrick Booth, Trillium’s executive director of community services.
“The biggest piece of the supports that the co-responder provides are really after the cause. It’s the follow-up, the case management, the connecting individuals and families to needed services.”
The program, which operates out of leased space at the Peoria Township office, is currently staffed by a director and one licensed clinical social worker. An administrative assistant and a data/management analyst are currently in the hiring process.
“We have accomplished a lot in the first year for the correspondent program, mainly focusing on building staff, setting up a space for our staff in the community, and then also working through the policies and all the background work that is needed in building up a program that is within this capacity,” said program director Shamim Jaleel.
“As you may already know, there are several benefits for the co-responder program in communities, including improving and enhancing crisis response, reducing the high utilization for law enforcement and hospitals in our community, and then mainly providing that holistic support for victims in our community.”
The police department will use the additional funding to hire more staff and purchase equipment and supplies needed for operation. The program is still looking to hire seven more licensed clinical social workers.
Echevarria said even without a full staff, the unit already has produced some successful outcomes.
“They have been already out and about. We had a specific incident, I won't give too many of the details for privacy reasons, but it was a barricaded subject. We had the co-responders out there in the vehicles, who literally sat in a vehicle with the victim. It was a domestic situation; we were able to get the victim out, and the barricaded subject,” he said.
“This was probably two months ago now, and Shamim is still in contact with this victim. We provided some relocation pay for some relocation costs, and we were able to safely get the suspect out, but as well, safely have the victim in a safe area.”
The council also approved a $1 million, one-year extension of a memorandum of understanding with Carle and other service providers for additional co-responder unit expenses.
In other business
Among other agenda items, the city council took the following actions Tuesday:
- Approved using $1.17 million in motor fuel tax funds for traffic signal upgrades and pedestrian intersection improvements as part of the Adams-Jefferson two-way conversion project;
- Authorized submitting an application for $550,000 through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program for a multi-use path project along Pioneer Parkway;
- Approved spending $286,000 for ADA improvements along Reservoir Boulevard;
- Accepted a $90,000 organized retail crime grant from the Illinois Attorney General’s office to continue funding the FUSUS security camera access program as of July 2025;
- Deferred a vote on advancing a development agreement for the CHIC Flats and CHIC Apartments mixed-use projects in the Warehouse District;
- Deferred, again, a vote to deny an application from Hacienda El Mirador for extended liquor service hours;
- Agreed to spend $60,000 to purchase an electrical distribution circuit upgrade for a public works oil distribution truck.
The city also scheduled public hearings for Sept. 24 on a pair of proposed annexations — one on North Orange Prairie Road and one on West U.S. Route 150.
