Madison County’s Cross-River Crime Task Force completed February’s deployment in the East Alton and Wood River area with a goal to help prevent “traffic violence.”
The task force patrolled East Alton and Wood River on the evening of Feb. 23.
The task force conducted their deployment less than a week after 17-year-old volleyball player Janae Edmondson was hit in downtown St. Louis by speeding motorist Daniel Riley, who was out on bond awaiting trial for armed robbery. Both of Edmondson's legs were amputated following the crash.
According to a press release by the Cross-River Crime Task Force, the life-threatening injuries Edmondson suffered is a result of “traffic violence.”
“These are swift-moving crimes involving motor vehicles and the use of highways, and include carjackings, vehicle thefts and other offenses,” the press release states. “Such crimes are a major concern throughout the St. Louis metropolitan region, and are chief among the types that the Cross-River Crime Task Force aims to prevent and deter.”
During the deployment in East Alton and Wood River, officers conducted more than two dozen traffic stops, made multiple arrests on outstanding warrants, made methamphetamine-possession charges against three individuals, and assisted East Alton Police in apprehending a motorist fleeing a hit-and-run crash.
The officers also conducted one vehicle pursuit over the Clark Bridge, which was terminated for safety reasons.
“This was a deployment of just our Core Team of hand-picked individuals, from across the county, and when they show up in a community, it has a real effect,” said Major Nick Novacich, commander of the task force.
“We appreciate Wood River and East Alton inviting us to conduct a patrol in their area. And we believe this patrol shows once again that deterrence matters,” he added. “We were able to make many stops and assist the local law enforcement agencies, but we also noticed that when our unit hit the street Thursday evening, there was a marked decrease in the type of ‘hits’ we’re seeking on local License Plate Readers. We hope criminals continue to get the message as we continue to conduct patrols across the county.”
Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells and East Alton Police Chief Scott Golike thanked the task force officers for their time and effort.
“The Wood River Police Department is hard at work fighting crime, and bringing the top-notch individuals with the CRCTF into our neighborhoods really helps make a difference,” Wells said.
“This is a great tool and really helps small departments like ours make a big impact in just a short period of time,” Golike said. “I look forward to seeing this task force bring similar efforts elsewhere in the county, as together we work to keep dangerous offenders off our streets and roadways and ultimately out of our neighborhoods.”