Most members of the Waukegan Police Department get a call to investigate a situation and determine if a crime was committed, or collect evidence to build a case. The Community Outreach Group has a different mission.

“Our job is keeping people out of the criminal justice system,” Sgt. Mallory Baker, the head of the unit, said of the group he commands with three officers and three licensed social workers.

The Community Outreach Group is entering its third year in January as a unit of the Waukegan Police Department, part of a pilot program created by the Illinois General Assembly in 2022 to pair social workers with police officers providing emotional support when appropriate.

When the state legislature sent a bill to Gov. J.B. Pritzker in April of 2022, with recommendations to reduce crime, it included a pilot program to be placed in Waukegan, Peoria, East St. Louis and Springfield, pairing police officers with social workers.

“The co-responder pilot program takes a holistic approach and looks to lean on not only law enforcement for the best approach, but seeks community and expert input as well,” state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, a co-sponsor of the bill, said at the time.

Oftentimes, Baker said the first thing a person does when something goes awry is call the police. On some occasions, the officer determines there is no crime, but people need help. The officer then contacts the Community Outreach Group.

Waukegan police officer Chris Allbee and social worker Julieta Alverez talk to an individual in their work on the department’s Community Outreach Group consisting of police officers and social workers. (Steve Sadin/For the Lake County News-Sun)

Suicide is not a crime, but an officer from the patrol division is often sent to investigate. Officer Chriss Allbee, a police member of the Community Outreach Group, said he participated in the call, which involved dealing with a person who survived a suicide attempt.

Allbee said the individual needed medical care, and an ambulance was called. He was concerned the person might run from the ambulance the minute it got to the hospital. He made sure the individual got the care needed.

“I positioned myself at the rear of the ambulance,” Allbee said. “I wanted to make sure the social worker would be there to take care of it.”

During the past year, a Waukegan woman, who was an immigrant, was the victim of a shooting. Daniela Ochoa, a social worker in the Community Outreach Group, had the job of going to her home to tell the family what happened.

“It’s so hard to go to a family to report loss of life at the household of the deceased,” Ochoa said. “Their wish was her body be sent to her home country to be buried.”

Julieta Alverez, another social worker in the unit, said Ochoa made the arrangements and dealt with the necessary fundraising.

Alverez said building a relationship with people takes time. Often, they are homeless and experience food insecurity because of substance abuse. It can take time before they are willing to accept help. Others are victims of domestic violence.

“A big part of the job is building a rapport with people,” Alvarez said. “Especially with victims of domestic violence. You’ll see them two, three or four times, before they ask for help. I’ll go with them to court when they ask for an order of protection. They are the victim.”

Baker said domestic accounts for approximately 21% of the situations the unit handles.

Securing a power wheelchair for a woman in the community is one task that gave Allbee a feeling of satisfaction. She had a disability, but Medicaid would not pay for the wheelchair. He was able to obtain one.

“When we got it for her, it was right around Christmas,” Allbee said. “Now she is able to do things should couldn’t do before.”

Mallory said making sure all officers are aware of the symptoms of autism and know how to deal with an individual who has the condition is important. A procedure is now in place so that when an autistic child is missing, it is easier for the youngster to be found.

Along with Baker, Ochoa, Alvarez and Allbee, officers Neil Wolfe and Anita Stokes are part of the unit. Baker said the department is in the process of hiring another social worker to replace the one who recently retired.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/08/waukegan-community-outreach-group/