St. Clair County, IL (KSDK) -- Members of several Metro East communities are fighting to improve their law enforcement, St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly said Wednesday.
Officials are fighting for law enforcement reform legislation in Alorton, Brooklyn, East Saint Louis and Washington Park.
Kelly says the homicide rate per capita in these communities is 20 times the national average, and half of all homicides since 2000 are unsolved.
Another point Kelly noted is that in the past year, there have been 18 felony charges filed against members of law enforcement in these areas.
There are two bills that could help these communities. One would allow these communities to hire more police officers, and the other would establish an empowered commission of local community representatives and law enforcement officials that could raise officer standards.
A hearing is set for Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in room 212 at the Capitol.
Several members of these communities plan to accompany Kelly to the hearing, including East Saint Louis Mayor Alvin Parks, Washington Park Police Chief Dave Clark, and East Saint Louis Police Captain Bobby Cole.
KSDK