Feb. 16--After a string of shootings on Chicago expressways this year, Illinois State Police said Monday it has begun beefing up uniformed patrols and surveillance from aircraft, video cameras and undercover officers.
At least six people have been shot on the Dan Ryan, Kennedy, Bishop Ford and Eisenhower expressways since Jan. 1. Two other people were shot in January on the Chicago Skyway, one of them fatally, but that highway is not patrolled by state police.
In a statement announcing the stepped-up effort, state police did not say how many more troopers would be deployed to the expressways, or how aircraft and cameras would be used. The extra patrols were to start Monday.
State police Col. Tad Williams, operations deputy director, blamed the rise in shootings on gang violence that has spilled over onto the expressways.
"People should not have to worry about their safety while driving on the expressways," Williams said in a public service video. "We will utilize all available resources."
State police have dubbed the ramped-up presence the Chicago Expressway Anti-violence Surge, or CEASe. Police asked anyone who witnesses a crime on the expressway to call (847) 294-4400.
