The Nokomis City Council is keeping its police department, despite how short-staffed it is. For now. This was the consensus of the city council during last night’s regular meeting.
But it doesn’t address the inherent corruption within the Nokomis Police Department. We’re not just talking about two ethical violations within the past year. It is much deeper than that – much closer to 30 to 40 years of unethical behavior.
Botched murder investigations. Cop-on-cop crime. Self-dealing. Excessive reliance on “confidential informants”. Unlawful harassment of law-abiding citizens. Decades of unresolved burglaries and theft.
Nokomis PD is “too far gone and unsalvageable”
The latest incident on June 17 involving K9 Officer Nathan Brookshire is just the latest chapter. Now, information is being revealed that former Chief of Police Earin Land was among those responding to Casey’s General Store, who allowed Brookshire to drive home, although he was under the heavy influence of alcohol.
This might (or might not) have been a factor in Land’s resignation, effective July 1.
We share the sentiments that former Chief Land stated in his resignation letter:
I was unable to detour the years of degradation, internal strife, secret and dishonest activity and maneuvering. With over three decades experience in law enforcement, two decades in police management, I take no satisfaction in reporting that I can recommend no solution, I deem the situation too far gone and unsalvageable.
Ethics violations and corruption are part of the uncorrected culture of the department
The issues plaguing the department existed long before the tenures of former Chiefs Land and Talon Burton. In all this time, the Nokomis City Council would fail to make appropriate changes to the department’s standards and practices as changes in state law warrant those changes.
Part of this failure lies with the City Council to correct it. However, as it currently stands, it appears that the City Council would rather sweep the scandals under the rug rather than demand action for them.
However, this isn’t limited to the Brookshire incident.
The public trust was breached last fall when an unnamed officer disclosed confidential information relating to the department’s case files. This disclosure was in the open public, presumably in front of a sitting City Council member. An investigation into that matter was forwarded to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office, but there is no status on that investigation.
Some members of the public would rather cover up the corruption
Last week’s special meeting and Monday’s regular meeting would reveal one unfortunate, simple fact. Nokomis has become a pathetic place to live in because the statist bootlickers pretend that the Police Department can do no wrong.
Their statements are 100% false. I’ve experienced firsthand the gross incompetence of the Nokomis Police Department when my home on Capps Avenue was robbed in 2011. The responding officer at the time did nothing about it. And for such a major crime, it should have been handed off to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department. But it never did. As a result, I’m out $5,000+ in tech that my insurance company, Allstate, wouldn’t even cover. That was because the Nokomis Police Department failed to do its goddamn job.
That 2011 incident sparked my deep distrust of law enforcement. Major incidents across this country over the past 15 years have further entrenched that distrust.
But for the public whining and crying that the department should stay, they would rather sweep the corruption and scandals under the rug.
You want the public trust again?
If the Nokomis Police Department has any hope of regaining the public trust, the culture of corruption needs to end. The culture of self-serving and self-dealing needs to end. The culture of “just because we’re cops, we can do X or Y” needs to end.
If the Nokomis City Council refuses to address those issues, then there is honestly no good reason for the department to remain.
Deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department have been swarming the community since the Brookshire incident. Perhaps that was a fact the Council preferred not to acknowledge.
A former city commissioner spoke about D.A.R.E. when the program was in schools. D.A.R.E. and its role in the greater failed war on drugs were exactly why the program no longer exists. How that was relevant to the issue at hand is uncertain.
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Commentary
COMMENTARY: Nokomis’ police corruption remains unresolved
todayJuly 14, 2026 12
The Nokomis City Council is keeping its police department, despite how short-staffed it is. For now. This was the consensus of the city council during last night’s regular meeting.
But it doesn’t address the inherent corruption within the Nokomis Police Department. We’re not just talking about two ethical violations within the past year. It is much deeper than that – much closer to 30 to 40 years of unethical behavior.
Botched murder investigations. Cop-on-cop crime. Self-dealing. Excessive reliance on “confidential informants”. Unlawful harassment of law-abiding citizens. Decades of unresolved burglaries and theft.
Nokomis PD is “too far gone and unsalvageable”
The latest incident on June 17 involving K9 Officer Nathan Brookshire is just the latest chapter. Now, information is being revealed that former Chief of Police Earin Land was among those responding to Casey’s General Store, who allowed Brookshire to drive home, although he was under the heavy influence of alcohol.
This might (or might not) have been a factor in Land’s resignation, effective July 1.
We share the sentiments that former Chief Land stated in his resignation letter:
Ethics violations and corruption are part of the uncorrected culture of the department
The issues plaguing the department existed long before the tenures of former Chiefs Land and Talon Burton. In all this time, the Nokomis City Council would fail to make appropriate changes to the department’s standards and practices as changes in state law warrant those changes.
Part of this failure lies with the City Council to correct it. However, as it currently stands, it appears that the City Council would rather sweep the scandals under the rug rather than demand action for them.
However, this isn’t limited to the Brookshire incident.
The public trust was breached last fall when an unnamed officer disclosed confidential information relating to the department’s case files. This disclosure was in the open public, presumably in front of a sitting City Council member. An investigation into that matter was forwarded to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office, but there is no status on that investigation.
Some members of the public would rather cover up the corruption
Last week’s special meeting and Monday’s regular meeting would reveal one unfortunate, simple fact. Nokomis has become a pathetic place to live in because the statist bootlickers pretend that the Police Department can do no wrong.
Their statements are 100% false. I’ve experienced firsthand the gross incompetence of the Nokomis Police Department when my home on Capps Avenue was robbed in 2011. The responding officer at the time did nothing about it. And for such a major crime, it should have been handed off to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department. But it never did. As a result, I’m out $5,000+ in tech that my insurance company, Allstate, wouldn’t even cover. That was because the Nokomis Police Department failed to do its goddamn job.
That 2011 incident sparked my deep distrust of law enforcement. Major incidents across this country over the past 15 years have further entrenched that distrust.
But for the public whining and crying that the department should stay, they would rather sweep the corruption and scandals under the rug.
You want the public trust again?
If the Nokomis Police Department has any hope of regaining the public trust, the culture of corruption needs to end. The culture of self-serving and self-dealing needs to end. The culture of “just because we’re cops, we can do X or Y” needs to end.
If the Nokomis City Council refuses to address those issues, then there is honestly no good reason for the department to remain.
Deputies from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department have been swarming the community since the Brookshire incident. Perhaps that was a fact the Council preferred not to acknowledge.
A former city commissioner spoke about D.A.R.E. when the program was in schools. D.A.R.E. and its role in the greater failed war on drugs were exactly why the program no longer exists. How that was relevant to the issue at hand is uncertain.
Jake Leonard, Executive Editor-In-Chief
Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
Written by: Jake Leonard, Executive Editor-In-Chief
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