South Holland emails residents about potential road closures
Information provided by the Governor’s Office and the Village of South Holland
LANSING, Ill. (April 19, 2021) – At the request of the City of Chicago, Governor JB Pritzker is activating 125 personnel from the Illinois National Guard to stand by to support the Chicago Police Department with a verdict expected in the trial of Derek Chauvin. Members of the Guard will deploy to Chicago beginning tomorrow, April 20, to pre-position and support the Chicago Police Department as needed.
The Illinois National Guard will carry out a limited mission to help manage street closures and will not interfere with peaceful protestors exercising their First Amendment rights, much the same role as Guard members played in previous deployments.
Local impact
In a 2 p.m. email to residents Monday, the Village of South Holland cited “events happening both regionally and nationally that could potentially lead to civil unrest in the coming days.”
The email said, “If roads leading into South Holland will be closed, we plan to have a checkpoint for residents to re-enter the village on 170th Street at Paxton Avenue, heading westbound from Torrence Avenue. There is also a high likelihood that the Illinois State Police will close the 159th Street interchanges on I-80/94 and the Halsted interchanges on I-294, so please plan accordingly.”
The Lansing Police Department has confirmed they have a plan to address potential unrest in the coming days but declined to share details about the plan.
Lightfoot comments
“Our greatest priority at all times is ensuring the safety and security of the public,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “While there is no actionable intelligence at this time, we want to be fully prepared out of an abundance of caution. Our city has a long history of peacefully expressing its First Amendment rights and I encourage residents to exercise their rights to free speech this coming week thoughtfully, respectfully, and peacefully.”
Governor Pritzker also directed the Illinois State Police (ISP) to support the Chicago Police Department with additional troopers. The troopers will work closely with the Chicago Police Department and other local law enforcement, supporting efforts to keep the community safe.
The Lansing Police Department is located at 2710 170th Street Lansing, IL. The non-emergency phone number is 708-895-7150. For emergencies, dial 911.
Related
- Lansing businesses, police respond to vandals entering from neighboring towns (May 31, 2020, article)
- Police Chief Murrin summarizes May 31 lootings for Village Board (June 5, 2020, article)
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