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Southwestern Illinois sheriff says St. Louis crime spreading

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) - Some county officials in southwestern Illinois say crime from St. Louis is trickling into the state.

Madison County Sheriff John Lakin recently said the county is starting to feel the effects of being near "one of the most dangerous cities in the United States."

"There are bad people, and I'm trying to educate our residents to not become a victim," Lakin said. "Violent crime does happen in Madison County. ... We know we've got our share of bad people over here."

The sheriff's comments came after St. Louis resident Tyrone Grady was shot and killed in rural Illinois village of Glen Carbon on Feb. 11. Three St. Louis men have been charged in the death.

"My point for making that comment is that we're trying to educate the public on our side of the river that there are bad things happening over here," Lakin said.

Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons said he's seen an increase in the number of crimes committed by St. Louis residents, the Belleville News-Democrat reported .

Gibbons said as of Feb. 21 eight of the past 30 felony charges in Madison County were filed against people from St. Louis city or county.

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Information from: Belleville News-Democrat, http://www.bnd.com

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