The labor shortage is affecting just about everything, including law enforcement. During the Vermilion County Farm Bureau’s annual meeting this past Tuesday night, guest speaker Master Sergreant Tom Lillard from Illinois State Police District 10 said that for a multi-county district that equals about the same size as the state of Connecticut, District 10 has just 49 Troopers, who spend most of their time on Interstates 74, 57, and 72.
Master Sergeant Lillard says he’d love to have 60 or more troopers in District 10, and there’s a big push statewide on recruitment: Be it those just concluding military service, those with at least a two year associates degree looking at law enforcement, or those with good experience who may not need full training, just a solid orientation to the Illinois State Police.
AUDIO: If that officer has the experience and he has the prerequisites, then they don’t necessarily need to sit through that again. If they can so our physical skills and they can do the job, basically all we have to do is teach themthe way we do it, our report writing, and things like that.
Those wanting to know more about the Illinois State Police application process can go to illinoistrooper.com.
As far as what it’s like on the highways these days, Master Sergeant Lillard says just about always you can look around and be pretty certain something is being hauled illegally. And it’s not only illegal narcotics.
AUDIO: Twenty-four hours a day there is some sort of contraband. And it might not always be drugs, it could be clothing. They’re having a problem with people stealing just anything. I mean, it’s just not always drugs it’s any kind of illicit or stolen items and things like that. We see all kinds. It’s constant.
Lillard says it’s more of a challenge these days to catch the smart criminals, such as ones that do not carry loads of cash; but do major transactions electronically, or in just so many creative ways from debit cards to bitcoins.
ISP District 10 serves Champaign, Coles, Douglas, Edgar, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Shelby, and Vermilion Counties; and is based in Pesotum in Champaign County.
