Politics & Government

Sheriff Candidate Vows to 'Hit Hard' on Gangs, Child Predators

Mike Kelley has been with the Will County Sheriff's Office for 25 years.

Democratic Will County Sheriff candidate Mike Kelley said he plans to work with State's Attorney Jim Glasgow to crack down on "dangerous gang bangers" and take child predators off the streets.

In a press release issued last week, Kelley said he will work with Glasgow to streamline the gathering of gang intelligence during the booking process at the Will County jail. 

The candidate, a detective sergeant and 25-year vet of the sheriff's department, said he's talked with Glasgow about "expanding the collection and collation of gang intelligence and creating a Web-based system to share this information with police across the county to cripple organized crime."

Kelley also said if he's elected, he'll launch a Crimes Against Children Task Force within the sheriff's department, to work hand in hand with the State's Attorney's Office's High Technology Crimes Unit to "smoke out predators who trade child pornography over the Internet."

Kelley said he will re-employ the sheriff's department's "underutilized" high-tech mobile unit to help audit computers seized at crime scenes.

“The gathering and sharing of gang intelligence is critical if we are to take down the gang leaders who cause bloodshed on our streets and drive the market for heroin and other drugs that kill our young people,” Kelley said. “Every violent gang banger who is arrested is booked at our jail and prosecuted by the State's Attorney's Office. Working together, we can vastly improve the collection, analysis and distribution of gang intelligence with every police agency in Will  County.”

Glasgow, meanwhile, has endorsed Kelley for sheriff.

"Mike is the only candidate for sheriff who is prepared to cooperate with the State's Attorney's Office and every police department in the county to launch or expand innovative programs that make our streets safer," Glasgow said. "I trust Mike to get the job done, and I look forward to working with him on common-sense, cutting-edge programs to ensure the arrest and conviction of dangerous criminals.”

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Kelley is running against fellow Democrats Ed Bradley, a retired sheriff's lieutenant, and Lt. Steve Egan in the March 18 primary. Republican candidates are retired Chief Deputy Nick Ficarello and current Deputy Chief Ken Kaupas.


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