National Guard activated to protect against additional outbreaks of vandalism
information provided by the Office of the Governor
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (June 4, 2020) – Governor JB Pritzker is adding five counties to the existing disaster proclamation to aid local jurisdictions in efforts to keep communities safe. The following counties are being added: Lake, Peoria, Rock Island, Williamson and Stephenson. These counties represent:
- A threat for looting or destruction through planned protests,
- A home to critical infrastructure, or
- A location where the state has received requests for state assistance or resources.
To date, 15 counties are included in the current disaster proclamation.
On Sunday, the Governor activated 375 Illinois National Guard soldiers for State Active Duty to assist the Chicago Police Department in protecting the City of Chicago and its residents. The National Guard’s role will be supporting the Illinois State Police and local authorities in enforcing street closures around the city.
In addition, five National Guard Humvees have been stationed in Lansing. As the Village explained in a June 4 CodeRED notice: “Residents may notice Humvee vehicles with National Guard officers stationed near them at various areas throughout the Village. These resources were provided by the State of Illinois as a result of what happened in our community last weekend. They will be here indefinitely to help our community heal and to protect against any additional outbreaks of looting and vandalism in Lansing.”
Soldiers from the Illinois National Guard, personnel from the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and various mutual aid networks are aiding the requests of local governments. The State Emergency Operations Center is monitoring operations throughout the state and fulfilling requests from local governments. All personnel deployed for operations will be outfitted with personal protective equipment, such as face shields and masks, to address the threats of our current COVID environment.
