The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Waukegan Police Department announced they have combined into a joint SWAT team that will allow them to respond quicker and more effectively to high-risk situations.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Waukegan Police Department entered into a service-sharing agreement, which aims to increase safety and decrease costs, the two departments said in a statement earlier this week.
The Waukegan Police Department will join the Lake County Sheriff’s Tactical Response Team (TRT) as a result of the agreement.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said the partnership will unify the specialized resources, expertise and personnel of both agencies into a single, highly capable unit.
The combination will aid in a more effective response to critical incidents for the over 220,000 residents both agencies serve, Covelli said.
“By combining the strengths of the two agencies, the team will have access to a broader range of specialized skills, equipment, and personnel,” Covelli said.
The team will be able to respond quickly and effectively to some of the most complex situations, including hostage situations and high-risk warrant operations.
They will also be activated for high-profile events to ensure the safety of the public.
“Being a team based in Lake County, only responding to incidents in Lake County, the deployment time will be less than that of similar TRT/SWAT teams,” Covelli said.
Covelli said joint training programs and shared resources will contribute to long-term cost savings for Lake County taxpayers and result in a unified approach to highly technical tactical operations.
The team will continue training monthly and collectively hundreds of hours a year, which the sheriff’s office said is beyond the standard training required of police officers.
“A quick response from highly trained personnel is essential during high-risk situations such as hostage situations or armed barricaded person calls. This collaboration will not only ensure we are keeping our community safe, but it will foster a deeper partnership between our two agencies,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.
Waukegan Chief of Police Edgar Navarro said operational efficiency has always been a priority for the department.
“Collaborating with the Lake County Sheriff gives us the opportunity to do more. Enhancing our efforts provides additional resources that benefits the safety of our residents,” Navarro said.