Governor Quinn Announces Appointments to Metro East Police District Commission

CHICAGO – January 23, 2013. Governor Pat Quinn today announced seven appointments to the Metro East Police District Commission, which was created last August to crack down on street crime and corruption in four Metro East communities. Today’s action is the latest by the Governor to improve public safety in Illinois.

“These appointments are the next step in increasing public safety in the Metro East area,” said Governor Quinn. “There is no place for corruption in Illinois, and I am confident that the commission will succeed in better protecting our citizens by cracking down on crime in these Metro East communities.”

The Metro East Police District Commission consists of 17 members; seven of which are appointed by the governor, four are appointed by the mayor of East St. Louis and one member each is appointed by the village presidents of Alorton, Brooklyn and Washington Park. The director of the Illinois State Police, the St. Clair state’s attorney and the director of the Southern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission (or their designees) will also serve as ex-officio members. Commission members are unpaid.

The Commission was created by Senate Bill 549, sponsored by Sen. James Clayborne Jr. (D-East St. Louis) and Rep. Eddie Lee Jackson Sr. (D-East St. Louis). This legislation was designed to respond to high crime rates in the region and corruption in the police departments of East St. Louis, Alorton, Brooklyn and Washington Park. The bill also established the Metro East Police District, which will work in conjunction with the police departments of these four communities and will be overseen by the Commission.

“This is a terrific group of public servants, committed to the common good,” said Sen. Clayborne. “I look forward to working with the appointees on this new commission to strengthen local law enforcement efforts and better protect every resident of St. Clair County.”

“I'm grateful for Governor Quinn’s commitment to reducing violence by restoring faith in law enforcement in the Metro East,” St. Clair State's Attorney Brendan Kelly said. “Our work to prevent corruption and strengthen professional standards in East St. Louis, Alorton, Brooklyn and Washington Park cannot begin soon enough."

The Commission is charged with cleaning up police practices in the region and restoring the high standards expected of police departments. While the police departments of the four communities will continue to operate independently, the Commission will establish financial and ethical rules for them, and will be responsible for applying for and spending state and federal appropriations and grants on their behalf. The Commission will also develop a comprehensive plan for improvements and maintenance of law enforcement facilities in the district. Its goal is to help the Metro East police departments receive accreditation through the national Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies within three years.

Related Documents

Metro East Police District Commission Members (PDF, 83 KB)