By Benjamin Yount Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD  –  The acting director of the Illinois State Police said he cannot guarantee that Illinois will be any safer next year.

Jonathon Monken told a group of Illinois lawmakers on Monday that he’s planning for a “doomsday budget.”

Monken said Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposed budget would leave the Illinois State Police with the fewest number of troopers in at least 20 years.

“I have to say this is a doomsday scenario for the Illinois State Police.  Quite honestly to be able to continue to perform the functions that we are required to do for the agency and that we owe to the people of Illinois, we’ll still be able to perform  them in a certain capacity.  But not at the level that’s necessary to keep crime down, to keep traffic fatalities down, to keep all these things in check.”

Monken said he’s preparing to lose as much as 30 percent of his force.  The acting director said by the time older troopers retire, and there are no replacements, Illinois could have more than 400 fewer state troopers on the road.

“We were asking for two cadet classes of 50 each.  In other words, another 100 officers which would basically replace the 100 we expect to [lose] through the course of retirements this year.”

But it’s not just men and women.  Monken said he expects to have to trim local district offices.  The acting boss said he’s hoping to have to close or consolidate only a few, though that’s just a hope.

“I know the number put out by the governor’s office of management and budget was three districts.  That is probably a minimum number that would be required because of these cuts.  In all likelihood it will be more, probably in the neighborhood of five.  But it all depends on which districts.”

Monken had said he’d look to target districts in low crime areas, or areas of the state with plenty of local police backup.  But he would not offer any specifics on which of the state’s 22 Illinois State Police Districts may be closed or combined.

Lawmakers in Springfield say they now worry their State Police district back home may be on that list.

Almost every lawmaker said the plan to balance Illinois’ budget on the backs of the State Police is a bad idea.

State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, said now is not the time to take police officers off of the street.

“When you put people out of work, what are you going to have?  You’re going to have more crime…and that’s where we’re going to need the State Police.  I got a county jail at home and they;re saying “Gary the jail is full…When you put people out of work they start breaking-in, drugs start coming-in, that’s when you really need the State Police.”

State Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, said it’s not a matter of need, but a matter of priorities in the Quinn administration.

“At a time when we are expanding Medicaid again, we’re not reforming pensions, we’re talking about cutting public safety dramatically.  That is really irresponsible.  And [shows] that we have priorities that are totally mixed-up in this state.”

State Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, said he doesn’t want to sacrifice public safety.

“We’re looking at a $13 billion deficit, It’s pretty clear that if we’re not going to have any revenue in this state, the cuts are going to have to be made everywhere throughout state government. I just hope that at the end of the day, we can find the revenue to properly fund public safety, so we’re not just reacting to problems, we’re actually preventing problems.”

State Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria, said the Illinois State Police presence is too valuable.

“I will be concerned about the cut in the police force. I think the State Police do a great service to the people. Certainly, any kind of cuts of that magnitude will have a big impact on our area.”

But State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said people have to tell leaders in Springfield what the priorities should be.  And Jacobs said people need to be willing to pay to make those priorities a reality.

“We’re cutting government.  We’re becoming a smaller government.  We’re going to make some more cuts, and these are going to be terrible cuts.  And then people are going to decide if this is the government they want to live with.”

Monken is not saying when he will decide which troopers may lose their jobs or which State Police districts may close their doors.  He first has to face the Illinois Senate for his confirmation hearing.

Quinn has asked for quick action on his budget plan, including his 33 percent income tax hike for schools.

Lawmakers will begin work on their own spending plan when they return after a legislative spring break at the end of this month.