This is a great idea. Hope they write lots of tickets. Speeding in construction zones is a huge problem everwhere, besides Illinois needs the revenue.

EAST MOLINE, Ill. — Illinois troopers plan to start dressing up like construction workers as they patrol work zones.

"Somebody is going to get hurt," disguised Illinois State Trooper Ron Salier told WQAD. "That's why we're out here. We are trying to make a difference and educate people."

The undercover patrols began Monday to raise awareness for Work-Zone Safety Week.

Police said they planned to conduct more patrols in the future, but didn't have plans in place.

"It's not about writing tickets," Illinois State Trooper Jason Wilson said. "It's not about pulling people over, it's about keeping people safe."

Wilson said so far in 2019, 19 trooper cars have been hit. Seventeen of those cars were pulled over on the side of the road.

"Reminding drivers the human element that they are actually driving through," Wilson said. "This is a work zone. Imagine if you were at your office and somebody drove through at 80 miles an hour."

According to the Illinois State Police, troopers will be watching for speeders, distracted drivers and other violators in construction zones. The campaign is called "Operation Hard Hat."

“Our hope is the plain-clothes trooper doesn’t observe any violations. That would mean drivers were operating their vehicles safely,” said District 7 Commander Captain Jason Dickey. “Sadly, that will probably not be the case.”

Up until now, patrols in work zones have been in marked vehicles.

"They are still in great danger while they are out here doing their jobs." Wilson said. "They deserve the exact same safety everyone else does."

According to Blatti Law, out of Joliet, Ill., a first-offense speeding ticket in a construction zone is penalized by a $375 fine. A second offense could bring a $1,000 fine and a 90-day driver's license suspension.

This detail consisted of one observation trooper and three enforcement troopers patrolling in the zone for two hours. Within that time, 10 traffic stops produced 10 speeding contacts, one seatbelt violation, and two other equipment warnings.

LINK: https://wgntv.com/2019/05/07/i...onstruction-workers/

quote:

"It's not about writing tickets," Illinois State Trooper Jason Wilson said. "It's not about pulling people over, it's about keeping people safe."

Horseshit. If that were the case, they'd put a marked unit with the blues on at the entry point to the construction zone, and another one half way through the construction zone. Bust anyone who doesn't get the message. If you are wearing disguises and hiding the cars, you are revenuers, not public safety guardians.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:

quote:

"It's not about writing tickets," Illinois State Trooper Jason Wilson said. "It's not about pulling people over, it's about keeping people safe."

Horseshit. If that were the case, they'd put a marked unit with the blues on at the entry point to the construction zone, and another one half way through the construction zone. Bust anyone who doesn't get the message. If you are wearing disguises and hiding the cars, you are revenuers, not public safety guardians.

Completely agree Artie.

They must want new vehicles in that area.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

"It's not about writing tickets," Illinois State Trooper Jason Wilson said. "It's not about pulling people over..."

In consistently cash strapped Illinois, I think that's just what it is. I have no reason the think worm Gov. Prickster has any qualms about bleeding Illinoisans.

Well it is Illinois, perhaps they are trying to balance their budget.

Agreed simply a revenue generator.

You want people to slow down, be visible.
Park a marked car at the construction zone entrance.

Yep, all about the money. Pritzker thinks legalizing weed will bring one billion dollars into the State Treasury. It was funny when revenue was low in one of the upper middle class suburbs. They disguised cops and wrote tickets to Mommies in their Suvs who were texting on their phones.

Time to retrain on how to park a vehicle if you ask me.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:

quote:

"It's not about writing tickets," Illinois State Trooper Jason Wilson said. "It's not about pulling people over, it's about keeping people safe."

Horseshit. If that were the case, they'd put a marked unit with the blues on at the entry point to the construction zone, and another one half way through the construction zone. Bust anyone who doesn't get the message. If you are wearing disguises and hiding the cars, you are revenuers, not public safety guardians.

Completely agree Artie.

I don’t disagree and predict it will not end well in court. I saw something similar in different state, judge said it was entrapment and dismissed all the tickets.

Saftey my ass! It all about the $$$$$

Maybe if Communist Illinois cracked down on the shitty union work deals to keep the interstates under construction FOREVER, they would have the money they need and good roads.

Pipe dream, I know.

quote:

Originally posted by 95flhr:

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:

quote:

"It's not about writing tickets," Illinois State Trooper Jason Wilson said. "It's not about pulling people over, it's about keeping people safe."

Horseshit. If that were the case, they'd put a marked unit with the blues on at the entry point to the construction zone, and another one half way through the construction zone. Bust anyone who doesn't get the message. If you are wearing disguises and hiding the cars, you are revenuers, not public safety guardians.

Completely agree Artie.

I don’t disagree and predict it will not end well in court. I saw something similar in different state, judge said it was entrapment and dismissed all the tickets.

Reminds me of another state where the troopers posed as “workers” to double the fines (when workers are present). Someone got wise to it and blew the whistle on the illegal taxation scheme.

quote:

Maybe if Communist Illinois cracked down on the shitty union work deals to keep the interstates under construction FOREVER, they would have the money they need and good roads.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Dont blame the Commies. The Illinois governors eat at the best steakhouses throughout the state completely financed by the concrete and road building industry. They occasionally get caught and go to prison.

Commies caring for your safety?

Probably not relevant but whenever Ohio Highway Patrol sit on our freeway to look for speeders, I will park up a mile or so away and just run my lights and slow people down before they get to the trooper.

Lol

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
Probably not relevant but whenever Ohio Highway Patrol sit on our freeway to look for speeders, I will park up a mile or so away and just run my lights and slow people down before they get to the trooper.

Lol

Another impact on revenue could be apps like WAZE, which allow fellow drivers / speeders to know about police locations. Hence their need to 'disguise' themselves maybe?

I'm a firm believer that I could speed and have an extremely low chance of ever getting caught by using WAZE and a Radar / Laser detector.

Ordinarily you could just look for the construction "worker" not doing any work and pick him out as an undercover. But based on what I've seen working on the highways in Illinois I don't think it would be nearly as obvious.

So can it be said the ISP are cross dressers?

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
Horseshit. If that were the case, they'd put a marked unit with the blues on at the entry point to the construction zone, and another one half way through the construction zone. Bust anyone who doesn't get the message. If you are wearing disguises and hiding the cars, you are revenuers, not public safety guardians.

I think you are dead-on, Artie.



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