Four Champaign County police chiefs and the county sheriff are starting a new task force aimed at curbing violent crime in the area.
The chiefs from Champaign, Urbana, Rantoul and the University of Illinois and Champaign County Sheriff Dan Walsh announced Tuesday eight full-time officers will devote their time to gathering intelligence they hope will help cut down on gun-related crime.
The formation of the task force follows a recent rise in gun-related violence in the area.