Officials Report No Disruption to Emergency Communications Service

DuQuoin—Illinois State Police (ISP) Officials announced today that consolidation plans are moving forward, and the agency is making progress with the first phase of the communications consolidation plan and improvements to radio communications.

Dispatch operations from District 9 (Springfield), District 14 (Macomb) and District 20 (Pittsfield) have successfully transitioned into the Springfield headquarters, with no disruption to service.

Officials are in the process of finalizing consolidation plans at the DuQuoin Headquarters by combining dispatching operations from Effingham (12), Carmi (19) and Ullin (22).  Collinsville (11) and Litchfield (18) are not included.

By consolidating the selected districts, communications capability will be greatly improved.  ISP officials have maintained that no public safety will be compromised and dispatch operations will be enhanced with newer technology and added GPS features for officer safety.

ISP Officials also distinguished ISP communications centers from local 911 emergency call centers.  ISP Communications centers are separate from local police agencies and there will be no impact to local agencies’ 911 emergency operations.

“Public Safety and the safety of ISP Troopers remains critical to our continued success,” said ISP Captain Patrick Murphy.   “Our plan is to enhance the interoperability of our communications by combining resources and placing greater emphasis on technology and infrastructure.  We will continue to assess our data throughout the transition by monitoring call volumes, staff responsibilities and training,” Murphy added.

Murphy also provided an update on the auto attendant non-emergency line, which connects callers to a voice mail option.  Some of these non-emergency calls were redirected to a working voice mail.

All Centers will be upgrading equipment, and the DuQuoin Center is in the process of integrating advanced call systems and expanded GPS technology as part of the consolidation plan.

DuQuoin and Springfield Centers have assigned adequate staff to handle the call volume and continue to monitor the calls as the transition progresses.  Call volumes vary, based on time, day of week and location.

Any emergency calls being handled by Springfield and DuQuoin Centers, are being redirected to the appropriate public safety agency. 

The Illinois State Police is committed to providing quality service to the citizens of Illinois and the phased consolidation plan illustrates our everyday commitment to fighting crime, and making communities safer.