Mayor Tom McNamara, standing with Police Chief Carla Redd, speaks at a news conference Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, at the Winnebago County Health Department in Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
By Steve Summers and Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Mayor Tom McNamara this week pledged to continue a multifaceted approach to public safety that involves both bolstering police resources and social services that help youth deal with trauma.

The mayor made his comments on This Week in the Stateline after crime stats released this week showed a 16% increase in violent crime through the first two months of the year.

“Our community deserves to be safe wherever they’re at and right now these stats are just not acceptable,” McNamara said on the show

The city is looking to hire entry-level officers as it aims to hit its authorized strength of 302, which is more officers than the Rockford Police Department had a decade ago, McNamara said. The department has also invested in technology, including license-plate readers that can help quickly identify a stolen vehicle or driver wanted on a warrant, and it has quadrupled the number of cameras across the city.

“We’re not going to be a city that does what many of these other communities across the country are doing. We are not divesting,” McNamara said. “We’re investing in public safety at a rapid rate.”

Related: 62% of homicides committed in 2021 in Rockford remain unsolved

Despite that, auto thefts are up 94% so far this year, aggravated assaults are up 14%, shots fired are up 48%, robberies are up 18% and property crimes are up 20%, according to Rockford Police Department data.

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The city is also doubling the number of children enrolled in early education programs, launched a new initiative aimed at pumping resources into six neighborhoods that face the biggest struggles with crime and is working to help employ more at-risk youth, McNamra said.

“This violence is starting at such a ridiculously early age,” McNamara said. “We’re seeing literally 8-, 9- and 10-year-olds out vandalizing businesses. We’re seeing 14-, 15- and 16-year-olds doing armed hijackings.”

Related: Pedestrian safety improvements coming to Rockford intersection after fatal collision 

McNamara also said residents need to play a role in making the community safer.

“We also need family members to really step up,” he said. “Understand where their kids are, what they’re doing, be much more active and engaged with their family members.”

He also gave credit to police officers for seizing 15% more illegal weapons so far this year. That’s after 54% more weapons were seized last year compared to 2020.

“Our officers continue, in my opinion, to do a great job,” McNamara said. “There’s just far too many guns getting into the hands of these criminals.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.

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