Law Enforcement Training Exercise Today in Effingham

A formal training exercise conducted by Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) will take place today at an unoccupied residence in the 300th block of North 4th Street in Effingham from 2:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.

The training that will take place today is only a training exercise but is designed to be as realistic as possible; loud noises, heavy police and SWAT team (Special Weapons and Tactics) presence, as well as lifelike scenarios are expected. Please remember, this is only a drill.

ILEAS is a state-wide law enforcement mutual aid organization formed in 2002 in response to the September 11th attacks, created to meet the needs of local law enforcement throughout the State of Illinois in matters of mutual aid, emergency response and the combining of resources for public safety and terrorism prevention and response. ILEAS serves a critical role in natural disasters as well as critical or high-risk incidents and often acts as regional tactical assets for local agencies.

Regional ILEAS teams are formed by officers from multiple jurisdictions and are equipped to deal with all instances of civil disorder. These officers are required to attend on-going training; the drill today fulfills part of the annual training requirements for the local ILEAS team members.