The Illinois State Police has updated some of its operations, including how it covers Illinois with patrols. | Illinois State Police/Facebook
The Illinois State Police has updated some of its operations, including how it covers Illinois with patrols. | Illinois State Police/Facebook
Illinois state Rep. Paul Jacobs (R) shared some changes to the Illinois State Police patrol structure Thursday in a Facebook post.
"ISP said the new patrol structure will allow the organization to better meet the needs of the public while combating a shortage of law enforcement officers across the country," Jacobs wrote.
The ISP explained its rationale behind the reorganization Friday with a Facebook post of its own.
“On January 1, 2023, ISP reorganized from 21 patrol Districts across the state to 11 patrol Troops," the ISP stated. "The establishment of these Troops will allow ISP to refine its focus on violent crimes, continue its mission to reduce traffic fatalities, and schedule officers to respond to calls for service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The mission of patrol, the heart of the ISP, began with eight men on World War One motorcycles, and today, for the fifth time in a century, the men and women on patrol are evolving yet again, rising to meet the demands of our time.”
In his Facebook post, Jacobs shared a link to a Herald-Whig article focusing on the ISP's changes and comments from ISP Director Brendan Kelly.
"This modernization enables ISP officers to more efficiently engage in areas of greatest need, with high crash or crime rates, and drug trafficking," Kelly said. "This model also puts ISP patrol on equal footing with other state patrols based on crime, population, and crash data analysis, rather than outdated habits or practices."
According to WREX, ISP Troops will be identified with a new license plate beginning on March 1 as a part of the reorganization. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias told WREX the new plates are tributes to fallen officers featuring images of the state's seal, saluting troopers, and the Illinois landscape.
“We thank all of our state police officers across Illinois for their service and sacrifice,” Giannoulias said. “This plate pays special tribute to officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice while in the line of duty. Our hearts remain with the families and loved ones of these officers who devoted their lives to protecting their communities. Their bravery and dedication will never be forgotten.”
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