The Illinois State Police in Effingham conducted a summary of district activity for 2011. State Police handled 38,023 incidents in 2011, with 18,097 citations for seatbelt and speeding violations. There were 368 drivers arrested for driving under the influence, 575 citations for other alcohol violations, and 953 criminal arrests. Eleven-hundred pounds of cannabis was seized, estimated at $1.6 million, and 136 kilos of cocaine seized, estimated at $13.6 million. $618,174 were seized in other criminal activity. District 12 troopers handled 1,087 crashes. District wide, there were 31 fatal crashes, claiming 35 lives. Alcohol was a factor in nine-crashes. Preliminary ISP statistics show 832 fatal traffic crashes, with 915 fatalities during 2011. Through partnerships with the Illinois Department of Transportation and area local law enforcement agencies, 12 fewer people lost their lives on Illinois roadways than in 2010. Locally, District 12's fatalities declined from 41 in 2010 to 35 in 2011. full story
