Authorities Partner Up to Fight Bad Guys

Several suburban Chicago law enforcement agencies are banding together to investigate some of the Midwest's highest profile unsolved crimes.

Officials from agencies in Will and Grundy counties had a news conference on Tuesday in Joliet to announce they're partnering with the Illinois State Police and the FBI to form a Major Crimes Task Force.

The new force will have 57 officers and crime scene technicians from 36 agencies. They'll take over homicide cases and suspected homicide cases when asked to do so by law enforcement agencies.

Joliet Police Chief Fred Hayes says the new approach would help "get the word out" about investigations that police departments in communities miles away might not know about.

Hayes says using detectives from a larger geographical area offers a better chance to break cases.