EAST ST. LOUIS, IL (KTVI - FOX2now.com) - A violent crime task force crack down is paying off in East St. Louis. The task force, called WAVE, "Working Against Violent Elements" is made up of members of the United States Marshal's Service, the East St. Louis Police Department, the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois (MEGSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department. WAVE made three more arrests Tuesday night in 800 block of 71st while coming under gunfire; just the latest arrests in a dramatic three month turn-around in East St. Louis crime since WAVE started its work.
Log sheets of homicides in East St. Louis since 1999 all had one thing in common: a spike in homicides from mid-November through February. Now, from November 19th, 2009, right around the time the task force started, through 10 p.m. Wednesday, February 3rd, there were zero gun-related homicides in East St. Louis. The first almost came February second. A pursuit began when East St. Louis police attempted to pull over a car on State Street around 9:00 p.m. One of the occupants was apparently wanted on an arrest warrant. The car took off then stopped on 71st Street. "The subjects in that vehicle bailed and ran," said Lt. James Morrisey of the Illinois State Police. Members of the task force tackled two of the suspects near a creek. Another suspect ran into a house. "As officers from the task force were approaching the residence, a subject opened a door and fired at the officers. Officers from the task force returned fire, striking the suspect," Morrisey said.
The suspect remained hospitalized Wednesday night. No police officers were hurt in what was just another "night at the office" for the task force. "We have taken 65 illegally possessed firearms off the street," said task force member, Joe Beliveau, of the Illinois State Police. "We've had over 200 warrant arrests...over 35 cocaine related arrests, seized over $43,000. We've taken 3 bullet proof vests off the street, arrested 3 carjackers...we are targeting areas notorious for violent crimes and street level narcotics distribution. We are conducting walk-throughs of housing projects," Beliveau said. "So if you're doing business out there, two things: stop it or move on," said Francella Jackson, of the City of East St. Louis. "Because you're going to get caught. They're not playing with criminal individuals in this community."
"More and more every day more citizens are coming forward and trusting the police and trusting us, providing us with information that is leading to a lot of good arrests...that's exactly what keeps us going every day," Beliveau said. "I have never been involved in a detail where every officer in the detail is as committed and dedicated to one goal: making it safe for the citizens and more importantly the children, just to be able to walk to a store and not be the victim of a crime." "The guys are no longer hanging on the corners. The criminal element, theyre going to have to go somewhere else," Jackson said. "The residents, they've come out and they've said, 'we like what we see. We like what they're doing...wow, maybe after all, they're going to turn this thing around again'." Investigators had yet to release the name of the suspects from Tuesday night. There was no word on any charges filed.
