Crackdown in East St. Louis Leads to 37 Felony Charges

The long arm of the law has once again reached into the underbelly of East St. Louis, Illinois and the result is a stunning 37 felony charges filed by state police.

The view of the Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis from across the river

According to the Public Information Office of the Illinois State Police, this was the backdrop for a crackdown that was just completed in East St. Louis just a few days ago. The nights of September 22 through September 24, 2025, the Illinois State Police completed a violent crime suppression sweep. Here are the numbers from that crackdown that they just shared:

• Arrests 37
• Felony Charges 37
• Criminal Charges 61
• Firearm Related Charges 17
• Firearms Seized 13

Illinois State Police said "the operation utilized intelligence and technology to target known high crime areas, violent offenders, and structured criminal groups in the communities of the Metro East". This huge mop-up of East St. Louis crime included officers from around Illinois including "Zone 6 Firearms Investigations Unit, Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG), Crime Scene Services, and ISP Air Operations, worked together during this operation...Troopers from SAVE (South), SAVE (Central), Fatal 4 (South), Troop 8, Troop 9, and Troop 10".

The hope is that these frequent Illinois State Police operations will make day-to-day law enforcement by local police agencies more effective.