The Illinois State Police (ISP) is the state police force of Illinois. Officially established in 1922, the Illinois State Police have over 3,000 personnel and 21 districts. The main facilities of the Illinois State Police Academy, which were constructed in 1968, are located in Springfield. Prior to 1968, training was conducted at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. ISP also maintains the Illinois sex offender registry, administers the state's AMBER Alert program, and issues Illinois Firearm Owner Identification Cards (FOID) and Concealed Carry Licenses. The Illinois State Police is also responsible for driving and physically protecting the Governor of Illinois. In 2005, officers and duties of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services Police were merged into the Illinois State Police.
Organization
Illinois State Police Recruitment Video - Jose De Avila, Producer/Director/Editor Relu Jianu, Cinematographer Dominick Falcone, Jr., Sound Designer Norm Woodel, Voice Over.
As of 2006, the Illinois State Police is organized into several divisions:
- Governor of Illinois
- Director, State Police
- First Deputy Director
- Operations Division: performs all of the functions of highway safety and criminal investigation; traffic enforcement is one of the more visible aspects of the operations department.
- Regional Commands I - IV
- Operational Services Command
- Statewide Evidence Vault
- Special Operations Command
- Riverboat Gaming Command
- Intelligence Command
- Communication Services Bureau
- Forensic Services Division: provides the state with specialty crime scene services including DNA and fingerprint identification as well as computerized ballistics matching.
- Forensic Sciences Command
- Crime Scene Services Command
- Administration Division: includes facility administration, communication services and logistics functions that are vital to ISP.
- Support Services
- Administrative Services Bureau
- Bureau of Identification
- Logistics Bureau
- State Police Academy
- Technology Services
- Program Administration Bureau
- Information Services Bureau
- Firearms Services Bureau
- Support Services
- Internal Investigations Division: performs a similar function as other internal affairs divisions as well as investigation of wrongdoing in other agencies in the Illinois executive branch.
- Northern Command
- Southern Command
- Administrative Services Command
- Identified Offender Program
- Operations Division: performs all of the functions of highway safety and criminal investigation; traffic enforcement is one of the more visible aspects of the operations department.
- First Deputy Director
- Director, State Police
Districts
Traffic enforcement
Illinois State Police currently use various methods for speed limit enforcement on Illinois highways. Hand-held and moving RADAR, LIDAR, pacing, air speed utilizing the ISP fleet of aircraft, and time-distance measurement. The IL State Police uses typical marked units (Crown Victorias, Impalas, and Chargers, Ford Police Interceptor) as well as unmarked units of vehicles ranging from Crown Victorias to Grand Prix GTPs to LS-1 powered Z28s to Mustang GTs. The Mustangs, Camaros, and other vehicles are for a program created to combat aggressive driving and speeding. Lightbars used on marked units are Code 3 X2100 LED units, Federal Signal Legend units and Code 3 MX7000 halogen/strobe units. Prior to that, it was a mixture of the Code 3 MX7000s and Federal Signal JetSonics and Federal Signal Vistas.
Since 1986, the Illinois State Police has patrolled Chicago expressways (Districts 3 and 4, which merged to become District Chicago). Since 2006, photo radar mounted in vans have been used for speed enforcement in construction zones statewide. Though the vans are manned by State Police troopers, a private company, ACS State and Local Solutions, provides the vans for a fee and receives a bonus of $15 per ticket issued.
A Motorcycle Enforcement Bureau (MEB) was created in 2006 consisting of 41 officers in six squads dispersed throughout the state. 50 Harley-Davidson FLHTPI Electra Glide's were leased for this use by the MEB. Due to cost-cutting measures in mid 2010, the Motorcycle Enforcement Bureau was disbanded, however some motorcycle officers remain in the larger Districts such as Chicago and East St. Louis.
Illinois State Police Merit Board
The Illinois State Police Merit Board administers the certification of the appointment and promotion of state police officers as well as their discipline, removal, demotion and suspension. The merit board consists of five civilian members who are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the state senate. Each member serves for a term of six years and no more than three members may be affiliated with the same political party.
List of ISP superintendents and directors
Superintendents
Directors
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Illinois State Police, 66 troopers have died while on duty.
Uniform
The uniform of the Illinois State Police has certain qualities that separate it from its neighbors. Instead of a chocolate brown uniform (similar to the Iowa State Patrol), or a light blue on dark blue (similar to the Missouri State Highway Patrol), they wear light tan/khaki shirts, and dark green pants with black trim. Dress uniforms include a jacket that matches the pants. The cold weather gear incorporates a chocolate brown all weather jacket. Leather duty gear consists of black high gloss clarino holsters, belts and accessories. The hat that is worn by the state police is a dark brown campaign hat.
The badge, instead of the traditional shield surmounted by an eagle design, is a six-pointed star that reads the rank of the trooper, and the words "Illinois State Police" in black, along with (beginning in 2002) the officer's badge number. (The badge's sequential inventory number is found stamped on the reverse side of the badge.) The badges are silver, or chrome plated steel for all ranks below Sergeant, and for Sergeant and above, the star is gold plated.
Rank insignia
ISP awards, commendations, citations and medals
- Medal for Valor
- Medal of Honor
- Achievement Medal
- Purple Heart
- Lifesaving Medal
- Meritorious Service Medal
- Officer of the Year
- Department Special Award
- Department Commendation
- Department Unit Citation
- Problem Solving Ribbon
- Department Service Ribbon
- Certificate of Recognition
Aircraft
The Illinois State Police have six aircraft used for law enforcement throughout the state, one Cessna 421C and five Cessna 182. These aircraft are stationed at four airports, Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, DuPage Airport, MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and Whiteside County Airport. ISP has used aircraft for speed enforcement, using stop watch time measurement, since 1959. According to the FAA, aircraft registered to ISP include, a Cessna 182R N291SP, a Cessna 182S N551SP, a Cessna 182S N661SP, a Cessna 182S N771SP, a Cessna 182S N881SP, a Cessna 421C N4131Q and a 1953 Bell H13G N33615.
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Illinois
- State police
- Highway patrol
Bibliography
- Clark, Harry F. (1972), Illinois State Police: A Division of the Department of Law Enforcement, 1922-1972, Springfield, Ill.: State Police Benevolent Group, ISBNÂ 978-1-934729-22-9, OCLCÂ 417833Â
- Illinois State Police (1997), Illinois State Police 75th, 1922-1997, Springfield, Ill.: Illinois State Police, ISBNÂ 978-1-890105-00-6, OCLCÂ 38965840Â
References
External links
- Official website
- Title 20, Chapter II: Department of State Police in the Illinois Administrative Code