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St. Clair County Jail gets new fingerprint system to prevent the wrong inmate from being released on bond

BY BETH HUNDSDORFER - News-Democrat

It all started with a T-shirt.

It ended with a $17,000 fingerprint system, added security measures for the St. Clair County Jail, an injured Texas trooper, a 30-day suspension for a corrections officer and a three-year prison sentence for the T-shirt's owner.

Darryln K. Byrd, 44, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to aiding the escape of a relative, Elijah Muhammad, who was in the St. Clair County Jail on home invasion and aggravated assault charges. Byrd gave Muhammad his "Curt Smith" T-shirt, police said, then posed as Byrd when someone posted his $100 bond and walked out of jail.

Terror in the projects: East St. Louis residents live a life under siege

 

By CAROLYN P. SMITH - News-Democrat

EAST ST. LOUIS -- Being a Mom is challenging enough, but imagine having to warn your kids to get away from the windows during gunfire.

Welcome to East St. Louis.

Some mothers say people are being robbed at gunpoint with regularity for $5, $10, or $20 -- basically all the money they have -- as they leave their residences to walk to a nearby grocery store.

Clusters of gun-wielding young men wearing baggy pants and oversized T-shirts and hoodies crowd the entrances to the complexes and strike fear in many of the residents.

Residents like Kimberly Rosebud say they're pleased that help has come their way.

They said the violence in the East St. Louis area had gotten out of hand and, by itself, the East St. Louis Police Department could not handle the crime.

New police team targets violent crime

 

BY CAROLYN P. SMITH - News-Democrat

No boundaries in Illinois or Missouri will stop the police from finding metro-east violent crime suspects.

That was the message from Illinois State Police headquarters in Collinsville Thursday when officials touted the results of Operation WAVE, which started Nov. 16. WAVE stands for Working Against Violent Elements and local, state and federal agents are on the team.

Illinois State Police Capt. Todd Kilby said all law enforcement officials, including prosecutors in Illinois as well as Missouri, are working together to remove individuals from the streets who are committing violent crimes, selling illegal drugs and toting illegal guns. He said law enforcement officials on both sides of the river are sharing information in an attempt to make it impossible for law offenders to hide.

Sex offender sought in St. Clair County has been arrested

News-Democrat

Thanks to his sister, a convicted sex offender sought by the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department has been found and charged with failing to register as a sex offender.

The sister of Steven Wilkerson, 43, spotted an online News-Democrat story last month about police looking for Wilkerson. She told him police were looking for him and he should register, said St. Clair County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Johnson.

"He tried to register at the Monroe County Sheriff's Department and when he showed up he was in their computer as noncompliant," Johnson said. "They arrested him for us and he was transported to the St. Clair County Jail."

Steven Wilkerson. - Provided/BND