SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is sending 54 police officers to New Jersey to help law enforcement agencies deal with the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and this week's nor'easter.

Quinn said Friday the group includes 29 officers from the Illinois State Police and 25 from agencies in central Illinois. The deployment will last eight days.

The officers' departure Saturday will bring to 76 the number of emergency responders dispatched to the East Coast. Fourteen emergency management officials went to New York City Nov. 1 and eight members of an incident management team departed Nov. 5. Both groups were deployed for two weeks.

The assistance is in respond to requests through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact from states hit by the storms.

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Illinois Emergency Management Agency: http://www.state.il.us/iema