Lincolnwood, Morton Grove Police Get Larger Firearm Enforcement Grants From State Police

CHICAGO — State police this month announced the third round of firearm enforcement grants, allocating $1.5 million to local law enforcement agencies, including two in Niles Township.

The Lincolnwood Police Department will receive more than $12,000, while the Morton Grove Police Department is in line for nearly $14,000.

This year, both villages have been awarded more than three times what they received from the Illinois State Police last year, when Lincolnwood got less than $3,500 and Morton Grove was granted less than $4,700.

The grants are aimed at supporting police efforts to get guns out of the hands of those who are legally prohibited from possessing them, whether due to firearm restraining orders, "clear and present danger" designations or criminal convictions.

“People who have made homicidal or suicidal threats and clearly pose a danger to the public should not have a firearm,” ISP Director Brendan Kelly said in a statement.

“These grants can help local law enforcement agencies pay for enforcement details to ensure those who are legally prohibited from having a firearm do not have them in their possession."

In first year, state police divvied up $1 million in firearm enforcement grants to 30 law enforcement agencies. That covered the cost of 311 enforcement details and 3,557 compliance checks.

That led to taking guns out of the possession of 1,151 people who were not allowed to have them. Those transfers were then documented with firearm disposition records.

In the second year, another $1 million was divided among 16 agencies. This year, with its increased budget, the grants are going to 19 different departments.

"Those who pose threats to themselves or their communities should not have access to lethal weapons, and I am thankful to ISP and local law enforcement agencies for conducting this critical work and keeping Illinois families safe," Pritzker said following the previous round of grants.

No information about past use of the funding or plans for the new money was immediately available from representatives of local police departments.

Funding for these enforcement grants comes from the State Police Enforcement Fund, enabled through Public Act 102-0237, which also created the Firearm Prohibitors and Records Improvement Task Force.

All law enforcement agencies that are members of the Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force are eligible for these grants, which support the execution of firearms enforcement details and ensure that firearms are turned over to lawful possessors or to law enforcement.

The largest recipient of grants is the Cook County Sheriff's Office, which received nearly $480,000, followed by the Aurora Police Department with approximately $52,600, and the Joliet Police Department with nearly $51,000.