"Successes in Law Enforcement"

Speaker: Detective Jamie Shoemaker

May 8th at 2pm at the Geneseo Public Library

Detective Jamie Shoemaker of the Geneseo Police Department will speak at the Geneseo Public Library on May 8 at 2 pm.  She was named the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute’s 2024 Women in Criminal Justice Female Officer of the Year.  Jamie was handpicked by an eight-member state-wide committee, standing out for her substantial impact on both the department and the community, especially in advocating for mental health and crisis awareness.

Shoemaker has worked in law enforcement for ten years and has been with the Geneseo Police Department for four years, having been the first female police officer to work for the City of Geneseo.  She works as an IMPACT (Integrated Model Police and Crisis Team).

“We couldn’t be prouder of Detective Shoemaker’s unwavering commitment to raising mental health awareness on the front lines,” said Deputy Chief Gene Karzin.  Chief Casey Disterhoft said, “Her compassion and dedication to the Geneseo community are truly inspiring.”

Shoemaker was also recognized nationally as a winner of the 2023 Flock Safety #Solved Awards, where nominees were solicited from across the country. Jamie was noted as having accomplished the mission of providing a coordinated, professional and compassionate police response to individuals affected by mental illness, substance abuse or in need of crisis intervention.  This award recognized her efforts in seeking alternative ways to address the mental health and substance use crisis in the community.

Detective Shoemaker initially began work to set up a mental health task force within the Geneseo Police Department, and it was while she was working in the community and as a result of her training with crisis intervention, she realized more than just help for mental illness was needed.  While she acknowledges that she isn’t a trained counselor or therapist, she is very capable of guiding people to the resources they might need.

“During trainings, it was brought to my attention that a person who suffers from mental illness can turn to substance use to self-medicate, therefore making our task force not just about mental illness, but also substance use as well as crisis intervention.  Every person we work with has different needs and different resources they need to help them.”

“We follow up with our clients and let them know we are here to help, and that may involve making a phone call, going for a walk with them to de-escalate, taking them to the food pantry, helping them find housing and sometimes it is just them calling us and talking about their day,” Detective Shoemaker said.  “We are looking forward to making our community better with this program and showing that our department is not just a reactive department, but that we are proactive and want to take an active part to make our community the best that it can be.”

“We’re trying to be more proactive instead of reactive, especially when it comes to mental health, substance use and crisis intervention,” Det. Shoemaker explains. “We’re another piece of the puzzle in our community and we want to help.”

She has also brought her commitment to raising awareness to mental health to the local schools.  “Everyone’s days look differently and it’s OK to want help and get help,” says Det. Shoemaker. “A lot of high school students deal with anxiety and depression.”

“Maybe the best way to explain it is that no one wakes up deciding they want to be in crisis that day,” offers Det. Shoemaker. “When you think about that for a moment, you start to get a better understanding of how frustrating and difficult these situations can be. That’s why we need to be empathetic and sympathetic when someone is dealing with something. It could be anybody, even you,” she adds. “It’s important to consider how we treat people, and that is something that reflects on all of us. It’s easy to look the other way, but we live in a community together and sometimes you need to help each other out.”

By making presentations such as this, Jamie helps to teach the community about anxiety and depression.  “It’s about educating people on what mental illness is and what it looks like, and how it’s all in our communities,” Shoemaker says.  “It’s one in five people; we need to start taking a proactive approach on it.”

The Dementia Friendly Geneseo Task Force has been incorporated into the IMPACT group. They are partnered with the Area Agency on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association to address the needs of those living with dementia. The Team, led by staff from the Police Department, includes people from the city, aging organizations, service/non-profit organizations, the Alzheimer’s Association, healthcare, and a local bank. First responders in the community have been trained on dementia and will be monitoring for any needs within community members.

And to add more accolades to Detective Shoemaker’s list of achievements, the city of Geneseo is now one of only 31 communities in Illinois that are certified as Dementia Friendly.  The city’s police force has created an independent task force to handle outreach efforts such as connecting families with health care services or caregivers. Representatives of the Geneseo Task Force are present at the City of Geneseo, Central Bank, Black Hawk Bank, Liberty Village, Geneseo Food Pantry, Geneseo Public Library, Rebuilding Together, Henry County Seniors, Hammond-Henry Hospital, Adult Alternatives and the Geneseo Police Department.

This presentation is made possible by a grant through the Illinois Humanities.