The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard from Taylorville’s police chief at their Tuesday noon meeting at the Moose Lodge.
Dwayne Wheeler has been the chief of police in Taylorville nearly 8 years, and in his Kiwanis remarks he focused on 2 areas: The SAFE-T act passed by Illinois legislators the last few years, and the lessening amount of crime and drugs in Taylorville.
Wheeler told Kiwanis members that the SAFE-T act continues to pose major hurdles for law enforcement statewide, with those who Wheeler says commit crimes basically getting off without being charged or jailed.
Despite that, he says he continues to support his officers and staff to keep crime down in the city.
Wheeler added that the crime rate in Taylorville is down some 58% over the past year, with drug arrests down significantly the last 6 months. He attributed that to his continuing focus on arresting drug dealers selling illegal substances, as well as his department’s “Safe Passage” program which helps addicts to kick the habit.
The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Moose Lodge. For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.
