A special law enforcement unit to investigate career criminals is heading into its fifth year of existence in Buchanan County.

During the years of 2010-2011, the Career Criminals Unit began in response to a number of ongoing shootings and violent crimes within St. Joseph and Buchanan County. 

The unit works with the Street Crimes Unit, federal agencies, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and others.  Captain Shawn Collie with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department works with the Drug Strike Force and the Career Criminal Units. During an interview with 680 KFEQ Collie said the main goal of the unit is to study high crime rate areas with shooting or violent crimes and go after individuals committing those crimes. 

“We work hand in hand with the Drug Strike Force where drugs are an everyday occurrence with many crimes,” Collie said. “A lot of times it’s the same repeat offenders, so by trying to focus on those individuals and figure out what their crime is or what they’re doing we can identify other criminal elements or organizations and try to take those people off the streets.” 

Since the unit was formed, Collie said they have had success with getting career criminals off the streets, but it’s a never ending process. 

“Whether we’re taking one or two off the streets a day or up to 10 to 12 a day, it seems like there’s always those following behind who are ready to take their place,” Collie said. “Over the years, though, we’ve had excellent statistics as far as number of cases, number of arrests. It’s up to the judicial system to decide what happens to those people once they are arrested or that case has been presented, but for us, on a daily basis, making those arrests or getting those people committing crimes off the streets is a great feeling.”

Collie said, in his line of work, drugs seem to be the common equation in most crimes. 

“A lot of times it’s that addiction and through that addiction, I’ve seen and known people who had a great life, whether they were a banker, an attorney, even doctors who somehow become addicted, whether it’s through an injury or something, right now pain medication or prescription pills are a huge problem for us in St. Joe as well as across the state,” Collie said. “But once that addiction sets in, it’s that drive to always have that. You start seeing people who are losing their jobs, their families, losing everything and they start resorting to how they’re going to get that next fix whether it’s through the forgery, through the theft… money for their next fix.” 

Collie said one of the biggest struggles within the division centering around drugs and violent crimes is the lack of manpower. He said while they’re limited with what they have for resources, community involvement can play a part in helping lower crime. 

“We do a lot of community programs and try to educate the public on how they can help us,” Collie said. “I think the solution is the community coming together, looking out for their neighbors, looking out for each other, for us in law enforcement. So if it was up to me, I would say, that community working together is the solution.”