Illinois State Police announces results of another metro-east crime crackdown

Illinois State Police arrested seven people in late July as part of its ongoing special operations targeting “high crime” areas in the metro-east, the agency announced Thursday.

The names of the people arrested were not provided in the news release announcing the results of the operation.

Troopers have arrested a total of 572 people in 17 special operations since June 2023, according to a Belleville News-Democrat review of State Police announcements. They have seized a total of 273 firearms.

The latest operation occurred July 29-30 in St. Clair and Madison counties. Troopers seized seven guns and recovered a stolen vehicle left on the side of the road.

The news release included examples of “notable arrests.”

On July 30, a trooper made an arrest and seized a stolen gun. It started as a “consensual encounter” between the trooper and a group of people, which means no one was pulled over or under arrest initially when they interacted with the trooper.

A trooper also found a gun and ammunition during a July 29 traffic stop.