(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Numbers from the State Police suggest Illinois expressways were safer in 2023.
A report from the Illinois State Police shows the number of expressway shootings fell by nearly a third, while the number of fatal crashes dropped by 7%. In 2023, ISP saw a 32% decrease in reported interstate/expressway shootings from 2022.
State troopers also seized 12 percent more guns.
The report also claims more than $4.5 million dollars in cash linked to criminal activity and more than 10,000 pounds of illegal drugs were seized by troopers patrolling Illinois expressways in 2023.
The Illinois State Police said improved patrol and investigation tactics, as well as expanding use of technology including a growing number of automated cameras that read license plates, are helping to make the state's expressways safer.
“As an agency, we’ve become more nimble and focused on data, making decisions based on where the greatest threats to public safety emerge, rather than following the same old pattern or habits,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly.
“Over the past several years, we have really demanded more of ourselves, making the tough decisions, executing, and empowering the most effective law enforcement tool there is – the well-trained, professional, crime-fighting trooper. Challenges remain, but we are headed in a good direction.”
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