http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wium/local-wium-896471.mp3
Galesburg, IL – The federal government has awarded the Knox County State's Attorney's Office with a $431,800 grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The money will be used to create a new prosecutor's position that will deal specifically with drugs and drug-related crimes in the county.
State's Attorney John Pepmeyer says this is a sorely needed position due to the prevalence of drugs in his county.
"About 75 percent of the crime in Knox County is drug related or drug and alcohol combination related," says Pepmeyer. "Meth and crack are the two prevalent drugs that exist in our county."
The grant will pay for the new prosecutor, a full time legal assistant, and a part time communications contractor position. The latter will be responsible for creating education initiatives for communities and local schools.
Pepmeyer says the idea behind the education initiatives is to target young teenagers, mainly 8th and 9th graders, about the dangers of drugs and what they can do to a person.
"[We'll] indicate to them not only the harm to their bodies by doing this, but the harm to their future," he says. "We want to send a message to them that this kind of activity can be a life ruining event. It can prevent them from getting the job they want, entering the school they want, and it can deprive them of their freedom."
The grant agreement also says the State's Attorney must create seminars for local law enforcement to inform them on the latest court decisions regarding drug investigations, interrogation and evidence gathering. This will ensure the prosecutor will be able to gather enough evidence before taking a case to court.
Pepmeyer says he already has a couple of people in mind for who he'd like to take the jobs, but he won't say who. He says the positions will be filled in about a month.
The grant money will fund the positions for three years. Pepmeyer says he's confident that the new positions will be so effective and successful, the county board will agree to fund them for longer than three years.