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Chief Jerel Jones was sworn in at the beginning of May 2021 after spending a couple months as Transitional Police Chief in Macomb.

The McDonough County Voice Your eyes could tell you that Monday was a special day at Macomb City Hall. First, there was a tent on the city hall lawn. Second was the number of people gathering under and around the tent.  The tent was in place as an alternative to indoor crowd prohibitions. The Macomb City Council met inside the building as usual. Then they recessed and reconvened under the tent. The outdoor gathering was to permit as large a group as possible to witness and participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Police Chief Jerel Jones. In addition to his family from Chicago, and many M...

The McDonough County Voice Editor's note: A previous version of this story mistakenly omitted a response from State's Attorney Matt Kwacala. His comments have been added to the story. McDONOUGH COUNTY — A resident who was arrested on March 2, held for 20 hours and then released by the State’s Attorney without any charges is alleging local police racially profiled her and her husband and violated their rights. “I will never forget this, because it was my husband’s birthday,” Magen Kelly said. Kelly, who is Black, said in interviews with the Voice that she and husband Corey Kelly, a...

MPD Chief Barker announces plans to retire Story by Downtown Macomb Subhead: Mayor to appoint Lt. Jerel Jones as new MPD Chief MACOMB — Macomb Police Chief Curt Barker announced today that he will be retiring as Chief of Police effective May 3, 2021. Barker, a graduate of Western Illinois University and a U.S. Army veteran, has served as a member of the Macomb Police Department for over 27 years, 12 of those years as Chief. “I am proud to have been able to serve the citizens of Macomb as a police officer and as their Chief,” said Chief Barker. “And am proud of the women and men of the...

Courtesy photo For the first time in Macomb's long history, the city will have a Black police chief. Mayor Mike Inman said he will appoint Jerel Jones to the position. The mayor will ask the city council on Tuesday, February 16, to approve appointing Jones as Transitional Police Chief beginning March 1. Jones would then take over the department on May 3. Jones is a lieutenant at the McDonough County Sheriff's Department. He joined the sheriff's department after serving as a lieutenant for the Bradley University Police Department in Peoria. Prior to that he worked for the Office of Public Sa...