PROPOSED ILLINOIS STATE POLICE PLAN WOULD INCEASE ULLIN DUTIES

ULLIN, Ill. -- The Illinois State Police headquarters office here may be assuming more duties in the future.

Under a proposed statewide reorganization plan, 40 current district and zone offices would be consolidated into 15 offices.

In the Southern Illinois area, the DuQuoin office would be closed, shifting the regional duties to the Ullin District.

State police officials say the reorganization would increase service. The plan would call for some administrative and command officers who now work in offices to return to patrol or investigative duties.

"We believe this restructuring would increase our personnel available for field operations by as much as 30 percent," said Master Sgt. Charles Schwarting of the state police's public affairs office in Springfield.

The changes are recommended in a 19-page report that has been sent to Gov. Jim Edgar, and is currently under review.

State police Director Terrance W. Gainer said the plan would result in a "major reshaping of the agency."

If the plan is approved, it will be implemented over the next three years. The office consolidations would have a target completion date of January 1993.

The Ullin office alongside Interstate 57 now has authority over state troopers in seven counties: Union, Alexander, Massac, Johnson, Pope, Hardin and Pulaski.

"If the DuQuoin office closes, officers in Ullin will also oversee Jefferson, Randolph, Perry, Franklin, Jackson and Williamson counties," said Schwarting. "Washington County, now under DuQuoin, would be assigned to the Collinsville office."

In another Southern Illinois change proposed in the plan, the Carmi office would close, with its seven counties being consolidated into the Effingham office.

Schwarting explained that the current alignment of state police offices "is not based on community needs or efficient delivery of services."

He said many of the offices were placed in particular locations before construction of the interstate highway system.

Schwarting said longer distances to headquarters would not decrease service.

One of the positive aspects of the program is that it could enhance the investigative capabilities of the state police, said Schwarting.

"Many officers will be reassigned to the street, or in investigative capacities," said Schwarting. "Ultimately we will have more investigators available to provide assistance to local authorities.

"That is one of the primary objectives," he said. Other considerations were based on looking at the budget for the next two fiscal years.

The proposed changes came about as a result of a recent meeting between Gainer and his senior staff directors. Gainer asked if the agency operated the way it would if the directors could create it from scratch.

"The answer was a unanimous no," said Schwarting. "The overall state police agency hadn't been reviewed in total since 1977, and the directors felt it needed streamlining for efficiency."

Gainer's report and recommendations were sent to Gov. Edgar's office last week.