IL - State troopers start special patrols today

State troopers start special patrols today
Nov 01, 2007 @ 12:47 AM
RRSTAR.COM STAFF REPORTS
PECATONICA -

Starting today, drivers in the Rock River Valley will want to be on their best behavior.

State troopers in District 16 will unleash a flurry of special patrols targeting speeders, drunken drivers and those who don’t wear their seat belts in November. The number of troopers could triple during the patrols, with as many as six troopers skipping their days off to join the enforcement effort each day during the month.

The heaviest patrols will be on the weekends and the days surrounding Thanksgiving, when one trooper will be stationed every 10 miles on interstates in the county.

Officers will try to make contact with a motorist every 45 minutes, write one speeding ticket every hour and issue one seat belt citation every three hours, Heintz said.

“You don’t want to pay a guy to work on his off-time and have him sit somewhere reading a magazine or drinking coffee,” Heintz said. “We want them out there, being visible and making stops.”

Here’s a look at some of the special patrols:

Nov. 5-8, 19-20, 26-30: Troopers will roam Rockford streets looking for drivers and passengers without seat belts and for child-restraint violations.

Nov. 16-17, 21: Troopers will be on the lookout for alcohol-related offenses, such as illegal transportation of alcohol and driving under the influence. On Nov. 16, they’ll cover eastern Winnebago County; on Nov. 17, they’ll cover northern Winnebago County; on Nov. 21, they’ll cover southern Winnebago County.

Nov. 4, 11, 18, 23-25, 30: Troopers will watch for speeding drivers and seat-belt violators. They’ll hit Interstate 39, U.S. Bypass 20, Business U.S. 20, Illinois 2 and Illinois 251.