Hundreds of Illinois state police officers could be laid off this fall. Governor Pat Quinn has proposed across-the-board cuts to state government to help close a multi-billion dollar budget gap.
State Police acting Director Jonathon Monken says about 600 of its 2,000 officers could be leaving this fall.
MONKEN: Illinois State Police will become a different agency. We’ll be reactive in nature. We can’t be proactive anymore because we won’t have the personnel to do it. And this will have far reaching and deep affects to the personal safety in Illinois.
The agency plans to lay off about 460 officers. Monken says at least another 100 will be retiring this year and about 30 will go to the state gaming board to monitor video poker. He says the agency will likely close 5 regional headquarters, including a Chicago-area office. He says all that could add up to a total of $32 million in savings.
Monken says layoffs could begin by September first.