State Police Unveil New Guidon to Patrol Troops

The Illinois State Police (ISP) Tuesday unveiled its new Troop 9 Guidon, or flag, in Effingham. 

On January 1, 2023, ISP reorganized from 21 patrol Districts across the state to 11 patrol Troops. In recognition of the newly formed Troops, ISP is holding Guidon ceremonies within each new Troop over three days. Troop 9 covers Clark, Clay, Crawford, Cumberland, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Hamilton, Jasper, Lawrence, Marion, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White.

“ISP takes pride in our paramilitary traditions while constantly evolving to better serve the public,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “The Guidon presented today to the Commander of Troop 9 is a symbol of our values and our officers’ commitment to the people they serve in this region.”

Each ISP Troop has its own guidon, a flag representing the unit and a symbol of honor.  The ISP Guidon is green and gold and depicts an ISP Montana Peak on top of the ISP badge.  The Guidon will be passed on by each commander to their successors at the time of a change of command.

The establishment of patrol Troops allows ISP to refine its focus on violent crimes, continue its mission to reduce traffic fatalities, and schedule officers to respond to calls for service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  Through the creation of Troops, ISP can better meet the needs of the public while aligning with the organizational standards of peers across the nation. Over ISP’s century of existence, borders and organizational structures for patrol have changed and evolved several times to meet the law enforcement demands of the day.

The effects of the reorganization can already be seen in the Troops.  When comparing January of 2022 to January 2023, statewide there has been an 11% increase in traffic stops, an 18% increase in enforcement action (citations/warnings), and a 9% decrease in crashes.  Every Troop had operational successes in January 2023.  In Troop 9, there was a 17% increase in enforcement action and an 11% decrease in crashes compared to January 2022.  

In addition to Effingham, ISP is hosting Guidon ceremonies in Du Quoin, Pesotum, Springfield, Metamora, Pontiac, Lockport, LaSalle, Pecatonica, and Collinsville.

All ISP Headquarters buildings will remain open and public access to services will not change.