Up to 40 Illinois State troopers were dispatched to Chicago on Thursday in a 30-day trial to help the city's police department combat street violence.
An Illinois State Police spokeswoman confirmed that several officers took part in a closed briefing Wednesday to prepare for the deployment.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Pat Quinn announced last week that the troopers would be assigned to the police department's Fugitive Unit. They're tasked with helping apprehend wanted suspects with known violent criminal histories.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that 65 FBI agents would be working with the Chicago Police Department, assigned to gang suppression.
Citing an FBI spokesman, the Sun-Times reported the agency plans to develop intelligence and conduct surveillance on street-corner drug dealers with the expectation that it will lead to arrests and the seizure of guns.
Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy last year rejected the idea of joining forces with the state police, but in the mayor's news release, he welcomed the extra help.
The police department already is combating the typical summer surge in crime by dispatching hundreds of officers working overtime to the city's most troubled neighborhoods.
