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.
Troops and organization
Demographics comparison
ISP
Male
72%
Female
28%
White
82%
Black or African-American
9%
Hispanic
7%
Asian
2%
Organization
The Illinois State Police is currently organized into several divisions, commands, offices and bureaus:
Office of the Director:
First Deputy Director
Chief of Staff
Office of Equal Employment Opportunity
Office of Finance
Office of Human Resources
Office and Inspection & Audits
Office of Labor Relations and Special Projects
Legal Office
Deputy Chief of Staff for Special Counsels Major Case Counsel
Firearms Safety Office Counsel
Deputy Chief of Staff for External Affairs Senior Public Safety Policy Advisor
Office of Governmental Affairs
Executive Office
Public Information Office
Deputy Chief of Staff Office of Operational & Strategic Planning
Executive Protection Unit
Office of Strategic Planning & Special Projects
Office of Research & Development
Division of Justice Services (Colonel):
Administrative Support Command
Logistics
Department of Innovation and Technology
Criminal Justice Services Command
Bureau of Identification
Program Administration Bureau
Public Safety services Command
Firearms Services Bureau
Regulatory Services Bureau
Division of Forensic Services (Deputy Director):
Chief of Staff
Fiscal Administrator
Personnel Administrator
Case File Administrator (FOIA)
Assistant Deputy Director
Forensic Sciences Command
Crime Scene & Evidence Services Command
Quality Assurance
Division of Internal Investigation (Deputy Director):
Administrative Services Command
Background Investigations Unit
Identified Offender Program
Northern Command
Southern Command
Division of Patrol (Colonel):
Patrol Operations Command
North Central Patrol Command
Troops 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Chicago Patrol Command
Troop 3
Southern Patrol Command
Troops 7, 8, 9, 10
Strategic Operations Command
Support Servies Command
Special Operations
SAVE
H.I.T.
Support Services
Criminal Patrol
Motorcycle Enforcement Bureau
Vehicle Investigations Coordinator
Commercial Vehicle Section
Crowd Control
Administrative Support
Protective Service Unit
Division of Criminal Investigation (Colonel):
Investigative Command
Research & Development
Northern Major
Zones 1, 2, 3
Central Major
Zones 4, 5
Southern Major
Zones 6, 7, 8
Support Command
Special Operations Command/Air Operations
Investigative Support Command
Intelligence Command
Special Investigation Unit
Statewide Gaming Command
Chief of Staff
Deputy Chief of Staff
Statewide Investigative Training Special Projects Coordinator
Division of the Academy and Training (Colonel):
Staff/Special Projects Officer
Honor Guard
Trumpet Team
Pipes & Drum Team
Academy Commander
Physical Skills Bureau
Recruitment and Substance Testing Bureau
Logistics Bureau
Training Development Bureau
Division Statewide 911 (Colonel):
Statewide 911 Administrator
Assistant Deputy Director
Statewide 911 Bureau
Telecommunications Services Bureau
Radio Network Services Bureau
Fleet Services Bureau
Troops
The Illinois State Police reorganized from districts into troops, as of January 1, 2023.
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 used 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.[citation needed]
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, 74 troopers have died while on duty.
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. Starting with CC 150, Sam Browne style crossbody belts will be added to the dress blouse. 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. A special 100th anniversary badge was worn for the centennial in 2022. This badge was gold with a silver center to represent both troopers and sergeants above.
Officers are issued a Glock 22, .40 S&W caliber semiautomatic pistol as sidearm. Previous issued sidearms include the 9mm Smith & Wesson Model 5904 pistol, the 9mm Smith & Wesson Model 439 pistol, & the 9mm Smith & Wesson Model 39 pistol. However, beginning in 2025, a transition back to the 9mm will take place. Notably, the ISP issued the Model 39 to their troopers in 1967, making the ISP the first American state police force to issue a semiautomatic pistol as a duty weapon to their officers.
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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