U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Steven D. Weinhoeft

East St. Louis murder rate down 42 percent, officials say

A U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) violent crime reduction effort has, over the past 12 months, reduced the murder rate in East St. Louis by 42 percent, according to officials at a Dec. 4 press conference, marking the first anniversary of the program.

The DOJ’s Project Safe Neighborhoods program calls on federal district attorneys to develop custom-tailored violent crime reduction strategies targeting repeat violent offenders in high crime areas.

The program is based on the premise that most violent crimes are committed by a small number of persistent violent offenders, according to the DOJ.

Those strategies are then implemented by coordinated teams of state, federal, and local law enforcement officials.

The teams also work with community groups on violent crime prevention programs and “re-entry” strategies for violent offenders leaving incarceration, according to DOJ literature.

The DOJ instituted the Project Safe Neighborhoods program in East St. Louis last year after the city reported the highest per-capita murder rate in America — for the third straight year.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois Steven D. Weinhoeft leads bi-weekly case review meetings at the East St. Louis Police Department headquarters, with law enforcement personnel who are directly involved in investigating violent crime.

At the meetings, state, local, and federal law enforcement officials review every shooting incident in the city and prioritize resources to focus on building cases against the most persistent, repeat violent offenders.

State prosecutors and assistant federal prosecutors also participate in the case reviews to help guide investigations.

The Illinois State Police (ISP), meanwhile, has substantially stepped up support to local law enforcement in Metro East.

In addition to significantly increased manpower for proactive patrols, the state police now provide crime scene investigators to process every scene involving a gun crime.

In the past, ISP crime scene investigation has been limited largely to fatality cases.

“This is a significant commitment considering East St. Louis receives roughly 1,300 calls each year for shots fired,” Weinhoeft said during the press conference.

Also attending the press conference were: St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly, Illinois State Police Director Leo Schmitz, East St. Louis Police Chief Jerry Simon, and United States Marshal Brad Maxwell, along with representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

State’s Attorney Kelly called for long-term continuation of the program in East St. Louis.

“There is still much to do,” the U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft acknowledged.

Project Safe Neighborhoods was originally established in 2001 under President George W. Bush; expanding strategies used in Boston’s Operation Ceasefire, and in Richmond, Virginia’s Project Exile.

The East St. Louis press conference coincided with the opening of the DOJ’s National Project Safe Neighborhoods Conference, Dec. 5-7, in Kanas City, where President Donald Trump praised the program.

Two hundred loads of trash removed from Washington Park

Mounds of illegally dumped refuse, which have long blocked traffic in the alleys of Washington Park, are being systematically removed thanks to a novel agreement between the financially-beleaguered village and its utility provider, Ameren Illinois.

Under an Ameren-sponsored pilot project, a subcontractor with front-loaders and dump trucks is transporting massive piles of debris – including mattresses, tires, roofing shingles, and TVs – from utility rights-of-ways to a designated storage point. From there, city crews periodically transfer the debit to a landfill.

Ameren Illinois community relations liaison Paula Nixon organized the proactive trash removal effort in the wake of growing complaints from work crews that the mounds of debris were impeding emergency response calls for downed power lines and natural gas service disruptions, as well as routine maintenance.

Repair and maintenance crews complained of having to bring in heavy equipment to remove trash, before gaining access to lines, transformers, or other facilities.

Ameren Illinois Vegetation Manager Rick Johnson proposed the cleanup earlier the time approached for a routine tree trimming along power lines in Washington Park.  Tree trimming and invasive plant removal, which would generally take a couple of days in most small communities, has been taking two weeks in Washington Park due to the obstructions posed by the trash piles, crews reported.

So far, the subcontractor, Bill Mason Landscaping of East St. Louis, has removed approximately 200 truckloads of debris from around Washington Park, according to the utility company.

“There is a great sense of pride in this neighborhood now,” said Washington Park Mayor Rickie Thomas. “Everyone is so happy. When the workers are out here, citizens are bringing them water, asking them if they need anything to eat. The community wants the right-of-ways clean. But we have a lot of outsiders coming in, dirtying up the community, dumping. The citizens are grateful that the Village of Washington Park and Ameren Illinois joined together to get this trash removed.”

In many cases, resident now have access to their property from alleyways for the first time in years, according to the utility company.

Illinois Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker and Lt. Gov.-elect Juliana Stratton chat with voters and campaign volunteers, Dec. 9 at the Steamfitters Local 439 Hall in Caseyville. The town was one of just four downstate stops on a “Thank You” tour, undertaken by Pritzker and Stratton, last weekend, following their victories in the Nov. 6 general elections. (Photo courtesy of J.B. for Governor)

SIUE teaching assistants ready to form union

A group representing teaching assistants at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) has filed an application with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board for official recognition as a labor union local.

The group says signed union cards from the majority of SIUE teaching assistants were submitted to the state labor board on Dec. 7.  The board must now review and confirm then union cards before granting the group status as a union local.

The group cites low stipends and higher fees as key issues prompting the union organizing efforts.

Teaching assistant unions have been springing up around the nation since National Labor Relations Board affirmed collective bargaining rights for graduate workers, in a landmark, August 2016 ruling involving Columbia University in New York.

Since then, teaching and lab assistants at Tufts University, Brandeis University, Loyola University Chicago, Washington University, Duke University and Emory University have all established unions.

Earlier this semester, graduate workers at Illinois State University voted to unionize.

Graduate worker locals are generally affiliated with the Services Employees International Union, which has been attempting to both university faculty members and university-employed graduate students under its Faculty and Graduate Workers Forward program.

Year-round pay, $15-per-hour minimum wages, improved health benefits are commonly named as objectives by the new union chapters.

‘Little libraries’ planned for rural areas in region

Nine small Jersey County communities will soon gain their own permanent, if small, libraries, thanks to the new “Here’s to Reading” effort, organized by Jerseyville residents Darla and David Cavins.

Each of the “little libraries” will be housed in a 10-by 10 foot or 10-by-16-foot cottage shed, each offering not only books but workspace and even Wi-Fi access.

The Cavins are in the process of finalizing locations and constructing the cottages.

Donations of books and appropriate decorations are currently being sought from the public.

A volunteer for each location will be needed to accept book donations, the Cavins say.

Host communities will be responsible for providing the Wi-Fi access, as well as heating and cooling of the facilities.

Lending library and other services will be provided free of charge, the Cavins say.

Three locations have already been secured, with negotiations underway on six more.

A final list of the locations is due in the coming weeks.

The Cavins are in the process of registering Here’s to Reading as a not-for-profit organization to support the libraries.

For additional information, see the Cavins’ Facebook page (https://tinyurl.com/CavinsFacebook) or email them at herestoreading@gmail.com.

–Metro East Area News Briefs–