PEORIA, Ill. – It might be easy for a police officer to not want to come to work on a holiday — let alone one marred by the violence in Highland Park or two homicides in Peoria over the weekend.
But Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria tells WMBD’s Craig Collins on Monday, love of the job kept them on Independence Day duty.
“It’s that drive to maintain Peoria [being] safe, and to keep Peoria safe,” said Echevarria. “They have a heart for this place. This is where they’re from. A lot of them are raising their families right here in Peoria, just like myself and the Assistant Chief are.”
Echevarria it’s still important to celebrate the nation’s freedoms, even in the face of tragedy. And police officers help make that happen.
“You don’t join the police department to become rich,” said Echevarria. “You have a heart for service, and that’s why they’re here.”
Plenty of local law enforcement helped to keep the peace on both sides of the Illinois River Monday night. At the Gateway Building, where a private event, a VIP area, and WMBD’s live broadcast were staged, police were aided by private security guards.
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