SPRINGFIELD - Governor Rod R. Blagojevich announced plans today to centralize state policing under one roof, to better protect Illinois citizens.  The Governor’s budget proposal consolidates special agents from Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) and the Department of Central Management Services' (CMS) Police into the Illinois State Police (ISP).  Front line personnel will also be expanded by funding of two new cadet classes of 110 state police officers and returning officers in administrative roles to positions in patrol and investigative services.

The proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2005 is $350.3 million, reduced $20.6 million from Fiscal Year 2004.  The budget proposal provides $3.3 million for DNA casework to reduce the existing case backlog, $4.3 million to process and add 105,000 offender samples to the CODIS database, and $14.2 million divided between FY04 and FY05 dedicated to Homeland Security to ensure the ISP is fully prepared to respond to a catastrophic event.   

“These are tough fiscal times and a reduction in funding was expected, said Larry Trent, Director of the State Police. “However, through a redirection of employees and innovative technology, the result will be a more efficient and effective agency better prepared to proceed with our core missions.”

Additional and improved forensics and information technology equipment, including 600 new mobile data computers, are also included in the FY05 budget to ensure officers are equipped with immediate and critical information to increase productivity and officer safety. Frontline officers will also be properly equipped with 425 new vehicles, while reducing the overall fleet by 100 vehicles.

Other Illinois State Police budget initiatives for FY05 include:

·        Public Safety: Increase front line patrol and investigative services through the redistribution of personnel and new hires with the goal of adding 400 front line officers over the next four years.

·        DNA Casework: Complete reduction of the DNA case backlog by increasing the department’s ability to process cases internally as well as outsourcing cases to private laboratories.

·        Information Sharing: Merge the law enforcement computer system of ISP and Chicago Police Department and make the combined system available to all law enforcement agencies through the Illinois Citizens and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting System (I-CLEAR), and electronically share information between partners of the criminal justice system from the officers on the street to the judge in the courtroom through the Illinois Integrated Justice Information System (IIJIS).