Illinois grant program addresses illegal firearms

The Illinois State Police have announced plans to issue $2 million in grants to local law enforcement agencies interested in a collaborative effort to reduce and prevent illegal possession and use of firearms, firearm related homicides, and other violent crimes.

Funding for the grants is possible through legislation Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law providing for specific firearms enforcement funding.

From 2020 through the end of April 2022, the Illinois State Police stopped more than 88,000 unlawful attempts to obtain a firearm through firearm eligibility and compliance checks.

“ISP is now engaged in a firearms enforcement blitz across the state to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of those posing a clear and present danger to themselves or others,” state police director Brendan F. Kelly said in a news release.

“With grant funding available to local agencies for firearms enforcement, we can have a greater impact on reducing gun violence and protecting our communities.”

Any law enforcement agency that conducts firearm enforcement operations can become a member of the Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force and is eligible to receive grants from the State Police Revocation Enforcement Fund. 

The state funding will help agencies conduct enforcement operations against individuals whose Firearm Owner Identification Card have been revoked or suspended as a result of being prohibited by law.

Grant applications are scheduled to be available July 1-31.