The Kewanee, Illinois Police Department (KPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for the city of Kewanee, Illinois, serving a population of 12,229. The community has experienced a significant increase in the number of weapons and methamphetamine-related offenses, and incidents involving persons suffering from mental health crises. The calls for service to KPD have also increased 11% in 2022 over the average of the previous four years.This increase in calls reduces the amount of manpower that can proactively address the increase in violent crimes.

To address these challenges, the KPD has created a partnership with several different community stakeholders to form the Drug Alcohol Addiction Response Team (DAART) that will provide counseling options and resources for people suffering from addiction and mental health issues, and aid in developing relationships with local organizations to reach out to the local youth and other key populations. KPD staff the DAART program with a Detective from the KPD Street Crimes Unit. The KPD plans to partner with the Henry/Stark Health Department, which will provide support for a mental health therapist to provide follow-up services and referrals to individuals encountered by KPD personnel. Additional community and governmental partners are currently being recruited for active DAART project involvement.