EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (KMOX) - The public housing complexes on the east side of the river might just be the deadliest places in the country, but efforts are underway to secure the area.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is bringing in federal law enforcement to help state and local authorities crack down on crime. Figures show that East St. Louis is nearly twice as dangerous as even the worst streets in Chicago.

“You will find that the crime rate here is the worst in the nation,â€