EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois State Police’s (ISP) crime reduction efforts in the Metro East continue to make communities safer with the fewest number of homicides in East St. Louis in at least 45 years1. In 2020, to combat the seemingly intractable problem of gun violence in East St. Louis and ensure investigations are handled professionally and with integrity, ISP created the Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG), a national urban policing model. PSEG is reducing crime and building trust with the community through ISP’s combination of targeted antiviolence details, dedicated investigative resources, coordination with local law enforcement, implementation of new technology, partnerships with community organizations, and engagement in neighborhoods.
“Illinois is taking bold steps to prioritize public safety, significantly reduce crime, and strengthen our local communities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m proud to see the Public Safety Enforcement Group’s encouraging results in the Metro East, and I’m committed to further reducing gun violence, homicides, and other violent crime in every corner of the state. Through innovative practices and the hard work of our Illinois State Troopers, Illinois is seeing the positive effects of community partnerships with law enforcement firsthand.”
Since the implementation of PSEG, which works with ISP Patrol Troop 8, the South Special Operations Group (SOG), Air Operations, Firearms Investigations Unit, and the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois, the number of homicides and non-fatal shootings in East St. Louis has decreased each year. From 2020 through 2025, homicides are down 56% and non-fatal shootings are down 61%.
“Public safety is strongest when law enforcement and the community work side by side,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Trust built with the community is one of the most effective tools to combat and solve crime. This urban policing model we’ve implemented with dedicated ISP resources has not only saved lives, it has allowed us to solve cases in an unprecedented way.”
In 2025, PSEG opened almost 280 violent crime cases, including 15 homicides. For the first time ever, ISP Special Agents cleared 100% of those homicides in a year. The FBI defines a cleared case as either when an offender is arrested, charged, and the case is turned over to the court for prosecution, or there are circumstances outside the control of law enforcement that prohibit the agency from arresting, charging, and prosecuting the offender. Circumstances may include the death of the offender, the victim’s refusal to cooperate with prosecutors after the offender has been identified, or another jurisdiction in which the offender is being prosecuted denying extradition.
“This is what happens when the Illinois State Police invest directly into our community through modern technology,” said State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea). “When crime goes down, confidence goes up, and that opens the door for more business investment, more opportunity and more good-paying jobs for the people who call our community home.”
An essential element that makes PSEG successful is the relationships ISP Special Agents build with the East St. Louis community. Residents see officers coaching baseball, mentoring and helping youth, and raising money to purchase holiday gifts for area children. These relationships build trust between the residents and police so people feel safe talking with Special Agents about crimes occurring in their communities.
PSEG partners with community organizations to assist those impacted by violent crime in the Metro East. The District 189 WrapAround Wellness Center (WWC) provides trauma services to children of East St. Louis who have witnessed or been victimized by violent crime. During 2025, PSEG agents referring 320 youths impacted by violent crime to the WWC. Additionally, PSEG agents referred more than 200 adults and family members who were victims of violent crime to the Treatment Alternative for Safe Communities (TASC) – Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The Community LifeLine Family Resource Center (CLC) is another PSEG partner that provides trauma services to victims of violent crime and their families and PSEG referred more than 130 adults and family members to them in 2025.
An essential element that makes PSEG successful is the relationships ISP Special Agents build with the East St. Louis community. Residents see officers coaching baseball, mentoring and helping youth, and raising money to purchase holiday gifts for area children. These relationships build trust between the residents and police so people feel safe talking with Special Agents about crimes occurring in their communities.
Along with additional patrol and investigative resources, ISP has expanded its use of technology. ISP’s use of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras has been instrumental in aiding criminal investigations and reducing violent crime through intelligence-led patrols in the region. Currently, there are 158 ALPR cameras in St. Clair and Madison counties, with more being planned.
As communities’ needs for law enforcement change, ISP’s approach will evolve in order to provide the best service and greatest protection to communities.