Brendan Kelly confirmed as Illinois State Police director
Former St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly has a new title.
The state Senate in a 58-0 vote on Wednesday confirmed Kelly as director of the Illinois State Police. He had been the acting director since January when he was appointed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Since taking over the agency, Kelly has dealt with several trooper deaths, including one being shot and killed in East St. Louis while serving a warrant, and deaths and injuries due to alleged violations of Scott’s Law, which requires vehicles slow down and move over if possible when emergency responders are working on the side of the road.
The agency also has worked to make sure people who shouldn’t have firearms don’t have access to them, especially after they have had their Firearm Owner’s Identification cards revoked. Between May and July, the agency conducted more than 100 joint details with local law enforcement to bring people into compliance if they had their FOID card revoked. Law enforcement ensured people surrendered their FOID cards and completed firearm disposition forms used when possession of a gun is transferred.
Most recently, Kelly oversaw the graduation of a new class of 57 state troopers as the state has worked to add more state police officers.
Kelly, 43, ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in the Illinois 12th Congressional District in 2018, but lost to U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro.
This story was originally published October 30, 2019 at 1:17 PM.
