EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — As homicides rates across the country are up, East St. Louis authorities are reporting a drop in violence, something they attribute to a new partnership between police and the community.
"These unspeakable horrors have a lasting effect today, tomorrow, sometimes for generations," Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said. "A justice system must address the trauma to heal the individual and the community."
Kelly took to the podium Tuesday morning, flanked on all sides by members of the legal process.
He said their Public Safety Enforcement Group, or P-SEG, has worked twenty murder cases in East St. Louis since they launched the unit in October 2020.
Kelly said the murder rate is down, their clearance rate is up, and there is also a drop in non-fatal shootings.
But the strategy is about more than just policing and prosecution. It's about healing.
"If all we do is investigate and prosecute cases, we are missing the bigger picture," Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, said. "The trauma interventions are designed to break the cycle of violence."
East St. Louis authorities said they're emphasizing trauma therapy and support services for crime victims. Wraparound Wellness Center works with families and kids who have encountered crime to make sure they get the attention they need.
The P-SEG is funded through Illinois State Police and grants fund the Wraparound Wellness Center. Kelly said they're a little over a year into their five-year plan.
Watching with her family, Carolyn Seay knows the pain they're trying to prevent.
"I'm just taking one day at a time. It's not easy, I would tell you that," Seay said.
Her daughter, Dwonique Seay, was murdered in July, leaving behind two daughters. The pain is still fresh though she is comforted to know that police have a suspect behind bars.
"Every day is a challenge. I just want to be thankful and grateful that they solved the crime within 24 hours," she said.
Seay said she knows other families don't have the kind of answers that she does. Now she holds out hope for the unsolved cases this holiday season, as she waits for justice in her own daughter.
"We're going to miss her," Seay said.
More local news: