Jacksonville police are increasing speeding enforcement after community complaints, with 34 tickets issued since January.
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Jacksonville Police officers have issued 34 speeding tickets since January and will continue focusing on traffic enforcement after multiple complaints of speeding in different areas of the community.
“We want to do more speed details and be proactive,” Police Chief Doug Thompson said. “During the details, we have officers that are dedicated to go out, conduct traffic stops, so our numbers are up. We are listening to the complaints from the community.”
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The 34 citations are part of 719 traffic stops conducted since January.
Speeding is an increasing concern, Thompson said.
“We are seeing a lot of stops on Morton” Avenue, Thompson said. “We get a lot of complaints from drivers that say they are being passed like they are sitting still.”
There are different levels of speeding citations, Thompson said.
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“Speeding one to 25 mph over is petty, 26 to 34 is a Class B misdemeanor and 35-plus is a Class A misdemeanor,” Thompson said. “Construction and school zone infractions are higher.”
In Illinois, a Class B misdemeanor could be punishable by up to six months in jail and fines up to $1,500. A Class A misdemeanor could result in up to a year in jail and fines up to $2,500.
The most concerning issues are speeding in residential areas and school zones, Thompson said.
“One of the biggest things is that kids can run out into the street,” Thompson said. “Reaction times vary. If someone tries to brake, they may not be able to stop in time. At higher speeds that is more difficult.”
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The citation with the highest speed since January — for going 32 mph over the speed limit in a school zone — was issued after an officer pulled over a vehicle on King Street near Jacksonville High School.
A majority of the citations issued in Jacksonville were for drivers traveling between 12 and 17 mph over the speed limit.
Across the state, there were more than 71,000 speeding citations issued in 2025 by Illinois State Police. Of those, 316 were issued in Morgan County.
Within the county, a significant number of citations issued by state troopers — 147 — were for drivers traveling between 15 and 20 mph over the speed limit.
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In 2025 in Morgan County, Illinois State Police issued 16 citations for driving between 1 and 10 mph over the speed limit, five were issued for driving between 11 and 14 mph over, 90 were for driving from 21 to 25 mph over, 28 were for driving between 26 and 34 mph over and 10 were for driving 35 or more mph over the speed limit.
Morgan County Sheriff’s Department issued 39 speeding tickets in 2025, according to Lt. Caleb Bourne. Of those, 26 were for speeds from 1 to 25 mph over the speed limit. Seven tickets were for speeds of 26 to 35 mph over the speed limit and six were for driving 36 mph or more over the speed limit.
Bourne said 29 of the tickets were issued in 55 mph speed zones. One was issued in a 35 mph speed zone, one in a 45 mph speed zone and three in a 65 mph speed zone.
Across the state, 2,468 citations were issued to drivers traveling 35 mph or more over the limit, 3,749 were for driving between 26 and 34 mph over, 23,909 were for driving from 21 to 25 mph over, 24,603 were for driving from 15 to 20 mph over, 3,034 were for driving from 11 to 14 mph over and 1,251 were for driving from 1 to 10 mph over the limit.
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Thompson said Jacksonville Police Department is doing what it can to address the issue of speeding in the community. The department received an Illinois Department of Transportation grant to help fund more patrols.
“Our officers are encouraged to be more visible,” Thompson said. “I did different monthly initiatives last year, but we didn’t do that this year. It allows our officers to be able to focus on all reasons, not just the initiative.”