By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — When Mayor Tom McNamara delivers his annual State of the City address on Tuesday, it should come as no surprise what issue will get the most attention.

Crime and public safety have long been the most pressing problems facing Rockford, and McNamara said addressing those issues are his administration’s No. 1 priority. When he delivers his speech from City Council Chambers, he plans to talk about ways the city has invested in public safety and what else is in the works to make the community safer.

“We’re going to talk about public safety in a bigger picture,” McNamara said on This Week in the Stateline with Steve Summers.

That means looking beyond what the city and its police department can do to issues of childhood education, parents in the household, addressing trauma and mental health issues, the criminal justice system and more.

“The criminal justice system has a lot of different entities and stages to it,” McNamara said. “The city of Rockford plays a significant piece in public safety, but we’re literally one piece.”

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The speech will also focus on capital improvements, economic development and other initiatives the city is taking on, he said.

“There is a lot to cover,” McNamara said. “It will not be one of my shorter speeches, probably unfortunately for most Rockfordians who don’t want to hear me talk, but it will be as thorough as I possibly can be in about 20-25 minutes.” 

The speech will be delivered during the City Council meeting, which begins at 5:15 p.m. at City Hall, 425 E. State St. The State of the City address begins at 5:35 p.m.

You can also watch the address online at rockfordil.gov or on Comcast Channel 17. There will be limited seating at City Hall.

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