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Off-the-wall crime-fighting idea? The urinal

Wanted posters tacked to bulletin boards in the men's restroom at the St. Clair County sheriff's office have led to several arrests. (Photo courtesy of Sgt. John Fulton, St. Clair County sheriff's department)

By Kim Bell

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

08/26/2008

BELLEVILLE -- Leave it to St. Clair County Sheriff Mearl J. Justus to come with up another off-the-wall crime-fighting idea: the urinal.
A few years ago, deputies began hanging "wanted" posters on a bulletin board above the urinals inside the men's restroom at the sheriff's department.

And, sure enough, it's worked. About 10 people have been arrested because of the tactic -- most recently, a youth pastor wanted for sexually assaulting a young girl.
Earlier this month, Deputy Dan Hill of the street crimes unit was using the facilities when he glanced up and saw a familiar face on the board. A new mugshot had been added to the board. The pastor was wanted for an alleged sexual assault of an 8-year-old girl.

"Hill said, 'I know who that is, I know where he stays,' and they went out and picked him up," said Sgt. John Fulton, administrative assistant to the sheriff.

One of the department's deputies, Jason Jenks, was at the O'Fallon, Ill., homecoming picnic with family and friends a few years ago when he spotted a man in the crowd whose face he'd seen on one of the urinal "wanted" postings. The man was wanted for a probation violation. Jenks was off duty at the time so he pointed the man out to a local sergeant, and they teamed up to make the arrest.

Over the weekend, a St. Clair County corrections officer was working security on MetroLink and noticed a man who looked familiar staring back at him and acting "weird." The officer thought he knew the man but couldn't figure out how. Until, of course, he returned to work at the sheriff's office, used the restroom and saw the wanted posters. Close, but no arrest there.

Fulton admits the location is unique. "It is kind of a goofy idea, but that's what he (the sheriff) is known for."

It's the latest in a series of crime-stopping techniques used by Justus, who has been sheriff since 1982. The department has made arrests after getting tips from mail-in "crime coupons." Residents clip a special coupon from a newspaper, write in a tip and mail it to police.

In 1990, Justus set up a phony shoe store in Swansea and mailed notices to the last known address of everyone on his department's "wanted" list. They were told they had won a free pair of athletic shoes. As suspects showed up to claim their prize, they were arrested. It netted 33 arrests that day.

Justus liked that shoe sting so much that he hopes to come up with something similar for today's criminals. "I've been thinking about that one all the time," Justus says. "I'm trying to come up with a new wrinkle."

But crime tips flowing from restrooms? Justus got the idea from hotels restrooms, which often post newspapers on bulletin boards over the urinals. At the sheriff's department, the restroom with the posters is used by deputies, corrections officers and other male employees, including the maintenance and kitchen staff.

"Our own people say it's good idea because everybody uses the restroom. You're standing there at a urinal, and you've gotta look at it," Justus adds.

Craigslist ad leads police to arrest of woman on prostitution charges

BY JENNIFER A. BOWEN

News-Democrat

A Caseyville woman was arrested on suspicion of prostitution Thursday evening after a Craigslist.com ad led police to her.

Lynn M. Collins, 28, of 500 Hollywood Heights Road, was arrested by an undercover investigator about 5 p.m. Thursday at a hotel in Fairview Heights.

Mike Hundelt, a cybercrimes investigator for St. Clair County Sheriff's Department, spent about a week communicating via the Internet with Collins after he received an anonymous tip about Collins' Craigslist ad. Hundelt made up a fake name and user account and used undercover computers that prevent the fake address to be tracked back to the department.

Collins sent Hundelt pictures of herself and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the investigator.

The arrest of Collins by using a Craigslist ad was the first prostitution arrest of its kind by the sheriff's department, according to investigator Capt. Steve Johnson.

It was also at least the third arrest in recent weeks in the metro-east involving an alleged prostitute using Craigslist. A woman was arrested in Belleville last Friday. The Belleville arrest was even discussed between Collins and Hundelt. Last month, a woman was arrested in Waterloo in the same manner.

During e-mail exchanges, detectives set up a meeting and sex for money was discussed.

Working with the Fairview Heights Police Department, Hundelt and Collins arranged a meeting at a hotel in Fairview Heights. An undercover investigator was waiting in the hotel room when the suspect showed up, money was exchanged and promises of sexual acts made.

Collins also had an active bench warrant for failing to appear on a shoplifting charge. Her car and residence were also searched and items of evidence were recovered.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was notified of the arrest because children were at her residence.

Collins was taken to the St. Clair County Jail, where she was booked on a misdemeanor prostitution charge. She posted a $1,000 bond Thursday evening.

Thinly veiled ads for prostitution are common on Craigslist, with a search of the St. Louis site turning up several thousand listings, including ones in Brooklyn, Belleville, Cahokia, Caseyville, Collinsville, East St. Louis and Edwardsville. Most of the online classified ads on the site are people trying to buy or sell used items such as musical instruments or advertising services such as auto repair.

Contact reporter Jennifer Bowen at jbowen@bnd.com or 239-2667.       

New heights in crime prevention: Plane spots illegal dumping in St. Clair County

BY JACQUELINE LEE

News-Democrat

Five men are accused of illegally burning and dumping debris after authorities took environmental crime prevention to new heights in St. Clair County.

The St. Clair County Sheriff's Department's Environmental Specialist Unit and the Illinois State Police Air Operations teamed up July 26 to fly a plane over the county to spot open dumping, open burning and air pollution violations.

"It's an easy way of spotting illegal burning and dumping," said Capt. Steven Johnson of the Sheriff's Department. "In the air, you can see it for miles. When you're on the ground, it's harder to figure out where the smoke is coming from. Open dumping is significantly easier to see from the air."

Johnson said Sheriff Mearl J. Justus came up with the idea of teaming up with the Illinois State Police, who own the plane, because the department has received complaints from residents on a regular basis.

The operation did not require additional funding by either department because it was operated by deputies who were scheduled to be on-duty and the plane would have been used by ISP anyway.

The departments plan on using this tactic in the future. Johnson said the most important thing is for residents to learn that they need to dispose of toxic items properly.

"Some of them were unaware that some of the things they were burning, they could not burn," Johnson said. "Some of them were in remote areas and were shocked that we discovered them."

Anthony D. Fry, 51, of Keyesport -- who was given three citations for open dumping, open burning and air pollution at a property in Cahokia -- said he was surprised when deputies showed up at 2302 Renois Lane.

"We didn't really think we were committing a crime," said Fry, who told officers he recently bought the property from a friend who had collected the debris.

Fry said he was doing his best to clean the property, and asked deputies: "I said, 'Can you give me a warning?' and they said, 'No, there's a no-tolerance policy.'"

Deputies saw black smoke coming from building materials, plastics, mattresses, vinyl siding and household waste.

Other persons charged include:

• Herb Endrijaitis, 76, of Belleville, was issued an open dumping citation for throwing away a large pile of debris -- including burnt mattresses, a plastic swimming pool and miscellaneous trash -- in Centreville.

• Daniel H. Wiskamp, 54, of Smithton, was cited for open dumping, open burning and air pollution when deputies saw black smoke coming from treated lumber, telephone poles, plastics and metal products.

• Patrick Erwin, 42, of New Athens, was cited for open burning and air pollution when deputies saw black smoke coming from a demolished building that consisted of treated wood and plastic. The area was 12 feet by 25 feet.

• Broderick J. Srogus, 29, of Smithton, was issued an open dumping citation for throwing away a pile of debris that consisted of painted siding, other assorted painted and varnished lumber. The pile was 20 feet in diameter and 12 feet in height.

All of the cases are pending.

Contact reporter Jacqueline Lee at jlee@bnd.com or 239-2655.