>>> DESPITE A RECENT SHOOTING KILLING TWO TEENAGERS AND AN INFANT, POLICE SAY TACTICS TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE ON EXPRESSWAYS ARE WORKING.

A RECENT STATE REPORT SHOWS THERE WERE 140 SHOOTINGS IN 2022 LEADING TO THREE DEATHS COMPARED TO 264 SHOOTINGS IN 2021 WITH 24 DEATHS.

THAT IS A 47% DECREASE IN SHOOTINGS.

HERE TO DISCUSS THESE TACTICS AND TALK ABOUT EXPRESSWAY SHOOTINGS IS DIRECTOR BRENDAN KELLY.

WE ARE NOW TWO MONTHS INTO 2023 AND WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN A FEW EXPRESSWAY SHOOTINGS.

AT LEAST FOUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED.

WHAT ARE THE TACTICS YOU AND YOUR TEAM ARE USING TO ADDRESS THIS KIND OF GUN VIOLENCE?

>> IT IS A SERIOUS CHALLENGE.

WE ARE SEEING THIS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

IT HAS BUILT INCREASINGLY.

THE VIOLENCE WE ARE SEEING IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE.

THIS GOES BACK TO THE 1980S .

THIS TYPE OF VIOLENCE IS SOMETHING WE HAVE NOT SEEN BEFORE BUT WE HAVE ADJUSTED OUR TACTICS AND MADE MAJOR CHANGES TO HOW WE OPERATE FOCUSING ON THE VIOLENCE OCCURRING ON THE EXPRESSWAYS.

WE ARE SEEING THE RESULTS OF THOSE TACTICS.

ADJUSTING THE TIMEFRAME, WE HAVE MADE CHANGES.

WE SEE A 47% REDUCTION , AS MENTIONED.

IN 2022 AN 88% DECREASE IN SHOOTINGS THAT LED TO HOMICIDES AND ALSO A 70s PERCENT INCREASE IN STOLEN OR HIJACKED VEHICLES WE ARE RECOVERING ON THE EXPRESSWAYS.

THE WAY WE ARE DOING THAT REQUIRES US TO FOCUS MORE ON CRIMES ON THE HOW, HIGHWAY , NOT JUST THE TRADITIONAL TACTICS , THE FOCUS ON THE MOST DANGEROUS THREATS USING MORE PEOPLE , USING MORE TROOPERS AND SPECIAL AGENTS DEVOTED TO THIS EFFORT, USING TECHNOLOGY LIKE LICENSE PLATE READERS.

>> DIRECTOR YOU MENTIONED THAT TECHNOLOGY AND YOU MENTIONED YOUR OFFICE WITH LICENSE PLATE CAMERA READERS.

HOW DID THOSE WORK AND HELP UTRECHT ON PERPETRATORS?

>> THAT TECHNOLOGY HAS PROVEN TO BE A REAL GAME CHANGER.

THIS IS NOT BIG BROTHER, THIS IS A LICENSE PLATE READING TECHNOLOGY FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC TYPES OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.

THE TYPE OF ACTIVITY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS EVENING.

WE USE IT NOT JUST TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SUSPECTS, BUT TO BE ABLE TO CORROBORATE REPORTS FROM VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE THAT HAVE OCCURRED ON THE EXPRESSWAYS AND ALSO FIND POTENTIAL VICTIMS.

THE TYPE OF SHOOTING YOU HAVE ON THE EXPRESSWAY IS VERY DIFFERENT AND THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY IN SOLVING THOSE CASES IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN A TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD TYPE OF GUN VIOLENCE.

THE EVIDENCE IS SPREAD OUT OVER HUNDREDS OF FEET, SOMETIMES MILES DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

SOME PEOPLE DON'T EVEN REALIZE WHAT IT IS THAT THEY SAW.

THE WITNESSES WHO MAY HAVE SEEN SOMETHING BUT KEPT DRIVING ALONG, THEY WERE COMING FROM INDIANA ILLINOIS ALL THE WAY UP TO WISCONSIN, THEY MAY NOT REALIZE WHAT THEY SAW.

THEY COULD HAVE RELEVANT INFORMATION THAT ALLOWS US TO SOLVE THESE CASES.

WE ARE USING THE LICENSE PLATE TECHNOLOGY TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE TESTIMONY OF VICTIMS WHO ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY OFFENDERS AND IDENTIFY WITNESSES TO HELP US SOLVE THESE CASES AND SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THIS TYPE OF VIOLENCE IS UNACCEPTABLE.

>> WHEN IT COMES TO SOLVING THESE SHOOTINGS, WHAT KIND OF FORENSIC TECHNOLOGY IS IN PLAY, AS WELL?

>> WE ARE USING EVERY TOOL WE HAVE.

WE DO ALL THE FORENSIC DISCIPLINES , NOT JUST FOR THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, BUT THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

OUR LABS ARE VERY BUSY.

WE HAVE APPLIED ALL OUR TECHNOLOGY TO THE CHALLENGE ON THE EXPRESSWAYS.

IN ADDITION TO BE ABLE TO USE FORENSICS TO DETERMINE THE TYPES OF WEAPONS , WE ARE ALSO USING A NEW TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY WHERE WE ARE ABLE TO GET SMALL PIECES OF DNA OFF OF SHELL CASINGS RECOVERED AT CRIMES.

THIS IS CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY.

WE HAVE ROLLED THIS OUT AND TESTED IT THROUGH INVESTIGATIONS IN CHICAGO.

IT IS ALREADY LEADING TO BREAKTHROUGHS IN CASES.

WE ARE EXCITED TO SEE HOW IT IS APPLIED IN THE COURTROOM.

ALSO, IT MAY MAKE THEM THINK TWICE KNOWING WE HAVE LICENSE PLATE READERS, AIRPLANES IN THE AIR, 110 MORE TROOPERS ON AVERAGE , WE HAVE THIS DNA TECHNOLOGY THAT WE ARE USING, WE ARE USING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BE ABLE TO TURN THE VIOLENCE ON THE EXPRESSWAY.

>> ILLINOIS STATE POLICE, YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN RECOVERING MORE GUNS AS PART OF YOUR EFFORTS.

IN ADDITION TO INVESTIGATING SHOOTINGS, WHAT OTHER CRIMES OR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY ARE YOU ABLE TO INVESTIGATE BECAUSE YOU HAVE THESE ADDITIONAL TROOPS?

>> AS A RESULT OF US PIVOTING AND FOCUSING MORE ON THE VIOLENT CRIMES , THE MOST SERIOUS OFFENSES THAT ARE OCCURRING ON THE EXPRESSWAYS AND HAVING THAT POSITIVE ADDITIONAL PRESENCE, WE ARE RECOVERING WAY MORE GUNS THAN WE USED TO.

THOSE ARE GUNS THAT COULD BE USED IN ANY TYPE OF VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.

THESE ARE GUNS LEADING TO TERRIBLE DEATHS.

WE ARE ABLE TO SEIZE THEM AND CORRELATE THEM WITH OTHER CRIMES.

THAT HAS BEEN THE FOCUS OF OUR TROOPERS.

LOOKING BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL TRAFFIC STOP, IN ADDITION TO RECOVERING FIREARMS, WE HAVE GREATLY INCREASED THE NUMBER OF STOLEN VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN THROUGH VEHICULAR HIJACKINGS, THAT IS AN AMAZING EFFORT OUR FOLKS HAVE PUT INTO THIS PROCESS REALLY SHOWING TERRIFIC RESULTS.

IT IS RECORD-BREAKING, AT LEAST FOR THE ILLINOIS STATE POLICE TO BE ABLE TO RECOVER THIS MANY VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN STOLEN, NOT JUST ON EXPRESSWAYS, BUT ALL PARTS OF THE STATE.

WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RECOVER THOSE VEHICLES, MAKE ARRESTS, WE ARE ABLE TO RETURN THE VEHICLES TO THE OWNERS.

>> GUNS, STOLEN VEHICLES, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND THE EXPRESSWAY VIOLENCE.

A LOT OF MILEAGE FOR YOU AND THE ILLINOIS STATE POLICE TO COVER.

THANK YOU FOR