State police send help to Venice

VENICE, Ill. -- Illinois State Police have agreed to send a team of five officers to Venice to help fight crime on its streets.

Last month, Venice Mayor Tyrone Echols asked state police to help the community after there were two fatal shootings earlier this year and an increased presence of prostitution and drug dealing.

Venice, which has about 2,500 residents and is just northeast of St. Louis, has four of its own police officers.

But without outside help, Echols says crime will only worsen.

The new team of state police officers, known as the Metropolitan Enforcement Team, will hit the Venice streets in December.