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May 26, 2023
Justice for All
Dear residents and community leaders,
May is a time to reflect on the sacrifices that many have made in the name of public service and community. I want to thank Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg for hosting the annual Police Memorial event at the Lincoln Memorial Plaza. I joined many members in attending this important and powerful reminder that police risk their lives in the name of a higher calling: to protect and to serve others. We work with police every day to respond to those in need, to protect our roads from unsafe driving, and to investigate crimes. That work is vital safety for all, but it can lead to danger and sacrifice for these officers. We thank all police officers, we remember the fallen, and we support those families who carry their memory forever.
Our office also honored those who lost their lives in service to our country by placing United States flags at the graves of veterans at the Northshore Garden of Memories in North Chicago, Illinois. This annual tradition includes police, firefighters, EMTs, and youth groups who spend the Thursday before Memorial Day at the cemetery. It is one of my favorite traditions in the office.
May was also Mental Health Awareness Month. We hosted our third community event on Diversion/Deflection at the Waukegan City Hall, and we focused on how all parts of our legal system need to respond to those in mental health crisis. National authorities report that coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, “[t]wo in five adults report anxiety and depression, and two in five teens describe experiencing persistent sadness or hopelessness, exacerbated by social media, bullying, and gun violence.” Generally, the Lake County Health Department has led the county’s response with the establishment of the 24/7 Crisis Line and Mobile Responders Program.
For those who are arrested for low-level crimes but who are also in mental health crisis, our office has given police the option of taking individuals to the Living Room Wellness Center. This joint endeavor with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Independence Center of Waukegan allows police the discretion to provide treatment to individuals rather than taking them to the jail or to the emergency department. Our office has provided “roll call trainings” to hundreds of police officers.
I am also proud to report that we have doubled the number of lawyers working in our Mental Health Courts, and we continue to appreciate our partnership with the Lake County Public Defender’s Office and Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in providing intensive case management for the mentally ill who commit crimes.
Separate from these local programs, I will continue to advocate to our leaders in Springfield that we must invest in treatment infrastructure. In light of the size of the problem, and the stakes for our families, it is time for our state and national leaders to fully fund mental health treatment options.
From all of us at the office, please have a safe and meaningful Memorial Day Weekend.
Yours,
Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Hires New JJC Coordinator Vina Shee Through DOD SkillBridge Program
Vina Shee
Vina Shee is the new Juvenile Justice Council Coordinator who was hired through Lake County’s DOD SkillBridge Internship Program. The DOD SkillBridge Program gives Service members the opportunity to gain valuable civilian work experience during the last 180 days of service. This program is meant to help bridge the gap between the end of service and beginning of their civilian careers service. The State’s Attorney’s Office is the second department in Lake County to utilize this program.
Vina is a Staff Sergeant Intelligence Analyst in the U.S. Air Force and will complete her six years of service in September. Throughout her time serving, Vina was stationed in Germany for three years, Arizona for two, deployed to Africa, and spent some time in South Korea.
“The Air Force has given me some of the best experiences and has also given me a broad range of skillsets such as public speaking, critical thinking, and management that I know I will be able to transfer into my career,” Vina stated.
Vina is originally from Elgin, Illinois and knew she wanted to move back near home. She stated that Lake County was perfect because it’s not too far and offers such a wide range of opportunities from working in the health department alongside doctors, to working in the criminal justice system alongside attorneys.
After completing her service, Vina plans to go to law school to become a family attorney. Vina’s goal is to eventually work with children who need to be adopted and help them find a loving home.
“The State’s Attorney’s Office is a great fit for me because I am learning a lot from the attorneys, and I also just love everyone I’ve gotten the opportunity to work with so far. I really love it here.”
The State’s Attorney’s Office is excited about seeing Vina grow in her role as the JJC Coordinator and is proud to be able to give a service member an opportunity to gain experience as they begin to transition.
GVPI Youth Outreach Program
The Lake County Gun Violence Prevention Initiative and the Lake County Regional Office of Education (LCOE) have developed a Youth Outreach Program to stop the cycle of gun violence in Lake County, led by Trey Baker, the Youth Outreach Coordinator.
This collaboration was made possible with the $1 million grant LCOE was awarded by the DOJ’s 2022 Bureau of Justice Assistance Preventing School Violence: STOP School Violence Program. to be used towards training school personnel and educating students on preventing school violence.
"Trey has been instrumental in serving our youth in Lake County by providing mentoring opportunities and assisting with safety and violence initiatives," Dr. Michael Karner, Regional Superintendent of Schools for Lake County said.
As the Youth Outreach Coordinator, Trey has been developing leadership programs in Lake County schools that empower those who are most vulnerable to violence to lead their own efforts in improving their communities. One of the programs that was brought to Waukegan High School and Mundelein High School was My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK).
“The young men of this program have had four months of programming where they have been learning about their identity and have been creating a supportive community where they feel valued,” Trey said.
In April, 20 of the participants from both Waukegan and Mundelein High School, had a career day where they had the opportunity to connect with the Lake County Workforce Development Youth Task Force and took a professional development trip downtown Chicago. While there, they visited and got a tour of the Aon Center, the Obama Foundation, and the United Center.
The students learned about apprenticeship program opportunities and possible career pathways from professionals of each facility. They engaged in panel discussions, participated in readiness workshops, and toured the facilities.
After the field trip, Trey stated, “All the young men of the program were super engaged and asked a lot of great questions. I can say that lives were definitely changed.”
Looking Back At May
Diversion and Deflection: Mental Health – Compassionate Responses to Behavioral Health Crises
On May 15, we hosted the third session of our Diversion and Deflection Series. Because May is Mental Health Awareness Month, this session focused on mental health services provided in Lake County. There were presentations given by NAMI, The Living Room Wellness Center, the Lake County Health Department, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office COAST Program.
With over 60 law enforcement officers, community leaders and community members who attended, we were able to have insightful conversations about Lake County’s needs and how we can use the mental health resources to help prevent crime.
Our office plans to have the fourth session of the Diversion and Deflection Series in July with a focus on juveniles. We look forward in continuing this conversation and brining awareness on the available resources in Lake County.
nd Annual Seminar
The Juvenile Justice Council hosted its 2nd Annual Seminar on May 5. It was a fantastic event with over 80 community leaders, prosecutors, treatment providers, and police partners discussing how we can make our community safer by preventing juvenile crime.
The presentations focused on work programs for youth, Diversity in juvenile justice leadership, reducing racial disparities in arrest rates, suicide prevention and teen dating violence. Thank you to Curt’s Café, the Lake County Bar Association, Harter and Schottland Law Firm, North Chicago Police Department, Waukegan Police Department, and A Safe Place in helping put this event together.
State’s Attorney Rinehart stated, “We have the tools and the people here in Lake County to give our at-risk youth the opportunities they need to succeed. Chief Levi has done an amazing job of securing more grant funding for counseling programs so that juveniles receive the services they need. We can help people and make our communities safer in the long run while also publicly and clearly denouncing the racial disparities that have persisted in our system for too long.”
Upcoming Events
Juvenile Justice Council Quarterly Meeting – June 7
The Juvenile Justice Council meets quarterly to discuss prevention of juvenile delinquency and address the issues facing young people in our community. The next meeting is on June 7 at 1 p.m. Learn more: https://lakecountyjjc.org/
Lake County PrideFest – June 10
 Join us as we celebrate Pride Month this year by attending Lake County PrideFest. This year, the event will take place on Saturday, June 10, from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. and will be located at the Round Lake Beach Cultural & Civic Center. For more details, visit: https://lgbtqlc.com/lake-county-pridefest/
Juneteenth Events – June 16, 17, & 19
Mitchell’s Retirement Party – July 15 at 11 a.m.
 Join us for Mitchell’s retirement party! Mitchell has been a huge part of the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center. He has earned his badge and is set to retire in 2023.
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