Illinois State Police announce patrols to combat expressway shootings

Illinois State Police released a public service announcement Monday announcing new patrols to combat shootings on the expressways.

Beginning Monday, state police will use aircraft, video cameras, covert vehicles and undercover officers as part of CEASe — the Chicago Expressway Anti-violence Surge, according to a release from the law enforcement agency. There will also be extra uniformed troopers on patrol to assist with the effort.

Over the last couple of years, gang-related gun violence has escalated and shifted onto the expressways, state police said.

So far in 2016, there have been seven people shot on Chicago expressways, one fatally on the Skyway on Jan. 13, according to Sun-Times data. However, that shooting was investigated by Chicago Police.

Most recently, a 19-year-old man was shot about 2:15 a.m. on Feb. 7 on the Eisenhower Expressway near Racine Avenue. The man was a passenger in a vehicle with two other occupants when a dark vehicle pulled up next to them, police said. Someone inside the vehicle fired several shots, striking the man once in the leg. The driver took him to Rush University Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized.

“People should not have to worry about their safety while driving on the expressways,” ISP Division of Operations Deputy Director Colonel Tad Williams said in the release.

“Our number one priority is to ensure the safety of the motoring public. We will utilize all available resources to locate and arrest offenders who commit violent acts on our expressways,” Williams said.

The public service announcement can be viewed at http://multimedia.illinois.gov/ioci_vid/Archive/2016/WebpageOnly/ISP/021116-CEASePSA/021116-CEASePSA.mp4.