The Illinois State Police (ISP) is the state police agency of the U.S. state of Illinois. The Illinois State Police is responsible for traffic safety on more than 300,000 miles of total roadway, including 2,185 miles of interstate highways and 15,969 miles of state highways. Currently, almost 3,000 sworn and civilian personnel make up the Illinois State Police.
Illinois State Police currently use various methods for speed limit enforcement on Illinois highways, including hand-held and moving radar, LIDAR, pacing, air speed utilizing the ISP fleet of aircraft, and VASCAR. ISP uses typical marked units (Ford Explorer, Expedition, and Taurus, Chevrolet Caprice) as well as unmarked units. Since 2006, photo radar mounted in vans has been used for speed enforcement in construction zones statewide. Though the vans are manned by ISP officers, Conduent, a private company, provides the vans for a fee.
ISP has four Cessna 182 airplanes used for law enforcement efforts throughout the state. Three of the four aircraft are equipped with forward looking infrared cameras. All pilots assigned to the Air Operations Bureau began their career at ISP as troopers. ISP pilots respond to calls for service 24/7 and at no cost to the user agency. Routine calls for service include, but are not limited to, missing persons searches, criminal manhunts, surveillance, pursuits, photo/video needs, civil unrest, patrol support, and transportation. Since 1959, ISP has also used aircraft for speed enforcement, using stopwatch time measurement.
Illinois State Police Merit Board
The Illinois State Police Merit Board administers certification for the appointment and promotion of state police officers, as well as their discipline, removal, demotion, and suspension measures. The board consists of five civilian members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the State Senate. Each member serves a six-year term, and no more than three members may be affiliated with the same political party.
List of ISP superintendents and directors
Superintendents
John T. Stack (1922–1929)
Walter L. Moody (1929–1933)
Lawrence M. Taylor (1933–1935)†
Walter Williams (1935–1941)
Jesse H. Grissom (1941)
T.P. Sullivan (1941)
Leo M. Carr (1941–1942)
Harry Yde (1942–1945)
Harry I. Curtis (1945–1950)
Thomas J. O'Donnell (1950–1953)
Philip M. Brown (1953–1956)
William H. Morris (1956–1968)
Albert S. Hinds (1968–1969)
James T. McGuire (1969–1971)
Dwight E. Pitman (1971–1977)
Lynn E. Baird (1977–1979)
Ronald J. Miller (1979–1983)
Laimutis A. Nargelenas (1983–1987)
Directors
James B. Zagel (1980–1987)* Director of Department of Law Enforcement 1980–1985, Director of Department of State Police 1985-1987
Since the establishment of the Illinois State Police, 67 troopers have died while on duty.[15]
Uniform and armament
Uniform patches of the ISP since 1939
The ISP uniform has a distinct look that separate it from its neighbors. Instead of a chocolate brown uniform worn by the Iowa State Patrol, or a light blue on dark blue uniform worn by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, ISP officers 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 brown, all-weather jacket. Leather duty gear consists of black high gloss clarino holsters, belts, and accessories. ISP officers wear a dark brown campaign hat called a Montana Peak.
The badge, instead of a 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 the officer's badge number (beginning in 2002). 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 gold plated for sergeant and above.
Officers are issued a Glock 22, .40 S&W caliber semiautomatic pistol as sidearm.
Clark, Harry F. (1972), Illinois State Police: A Division of the Department of Law Enforcement, 1922-1972, Springfield, Ill.: State Police Benevolent Group, ISBN978-1-934729-22-9, OCLC417833
Illinois State Police (1997), Illinois State Police 75th, 1922-1997, Springfield, Ill.: Illinois State Police, ISBN978-1-890105-00-6, OCLC38965840
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