ILL-inois: Cops in town had cars towed so their paychecks wouldn't bounce

State flag: Illinois is in tatters

Corruption is rampant in Cook County--where Chicago is. But per capita St. Clair County, which is across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, is far worse.

Brooklyn, Illinois is one of four St. Clair County towns that the local prosecutor calls "failed states."

From the Belleville News-Democrat:

Brooklyn Police were towing vehicles to generate enough money for their own paychecks, according to a letter from St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly.

Also, Police Chief Steve Mitchell has resigned, just days after a raid, after a former village police officer was charged with two felonies and after another quit as an allegation surfaced that he took an assault rifle from the evidence locker.

Kelly's letter outlines to Brooklyn Mayor Vera Glasper-Banks how village police felt pressured to have vehicles towed as a way of ensuring their paychecks didn't bounce. Vehicles were towed by a relative of officer Dean Anderson, Kelly's letter states.

Handing St. Clair County over to Missouri would be the sensible thing to do--but of course the Show Me State isn't dumb enough to fall for such a trick.