Last weekend there were a pair of overnight shootings in the city of Geneva. Those incidents, which remain under investigation a week later, left an impact on city officials as City Council met on Wednesday for its October meeting.
There was also a bomb threat at the Public Safety Building less than 48 hours before City Councilors met.
Gary Baxter, a retired city police officer and county treasurer, told City Council that it’s time to put more money into policing.
“I cannot speak to you with any greater urgency,” he said during his remarks on the 2023 budget. He cited increasing crime statistics across the U.S., as well as the realities facing the men and women of the Geneva Police Department.
Police haven’t linked the two overnight shootings that happened in the same weekend in Geneva. But the challenges associated with investigating those crimes? That’s a big reason why advocates of the Geneva Police Department say they need more funding.
A lack of cooperation, increasingly violent incidents, and greater frequency of violent incidents are all factors.
The City has added two positions back into the 2023 budget. However, city council disagrees significantly on what the best method would be for developing better relations between the police department and community.
Recent incidents scrutinized by officials:
- UPDATE: 57-year-old charged with making bomb threat at Geneva Public Safety Building
- LATEST: Two shootings in Geneva under investigation, occupied house struck by gunfire
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