The City of Edwardsville has formed two committees, one dedicated to fairness and equality in the community, the other focused on fairness in policing and training, while both are seeking community engagement and listening. Democratic leaders weighed in.
Madison County Democratic Party chairman Randy Harris issued this statement:
"Now is the time that we all need to come together in order to listen to each other. We support our brothers and sister in law enforcement, while also recognizing the need to listen to those whose voices may not have been heard in the past.
“We call on all of the communities in Madison County to create a similar task force and call on the Madison County Board Chairman to engage throughout the County.”
Madison County Sheriff John Lakin:
“Right now, we need to have open and direct dialogue with those who feel they are not being heard. Now is the time for us to come together to fix what’s broken in our communities. It is an honor to wear our badge each day and to protect and serve where we live. Our law enforcement community is appalled at the reprehensible actions of those who dishonor our profession.”
Madison County First Assistant State’s Attorney Crystal Uhe:
“I am proud of the work I do each and every day alongside the men and women of Madison County law enforcement. I’ve dedicated my entire career to public service in order to bring fairness and justice to our community. It is in times of the greatest strife that we often make the most progress. Now is the perfect time for community leaders, law enforcement, and others to come together to tackle the tough issues we face. Justice and equality is an issue we all support, and we must be truly united to advance this cause.”
State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons:
“I have dedicated my life and career to serving our community and ensuring that justice is served equally and without prejudice. Despite the recent tragedy, we have an opportunity in Madison County to engage with our great law enforcement officers of this county and the community to help create a more open dialogue. I call on all of our communities to take on this challenge, our law enforcement professionals are pillars in our communities, and we have a chance to make things better for everyone.”