58 indictments brought under St. Louis anti-crime effort

ST. LOUIS (AP) - More than 50 indictments have been brought so far under a program aimed at addressing high rates of violent crime in St. Louis.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt on Tuesday announced the "Safer Streets" program has led to 58 indictments in St. Louis so far.

Indictments from the initiative include four carjacking, 30 drug trafficking, and 59 unlawful weapons charges.

Schmitt's office in January announced a partnership with U.S. attorneys to combat crime. Attorneys from Schmitt's office were deputized as assistant U.S. attorneys to help prosecute violent crimes.

The program has since been expanded to Kansas City and Springfield.

St. Louis city has one of the nation's highest murder rates even though the number dropped last year. The city had 187 homicides in 2018, compared to 205 in 2017.