EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) – A new Illinois law has created a police commission in southwest Illinois.

Quinn signed a bill Thursday in East St. Louis that creates the Metro East Police District Commission with public officials and police from East St. Louis, Alorton, Brooklyn and Washington Park.

The idea is to help provide guidance, ethics standards and oversight to police departments in the area. The appointed commission of 17 people would also help departments seek grants.

Efforts to fight crime have been prevalent in the region. The new law comes as the area’s top prosecutor says there aren’t enough police officers in East St. Louis for the city’s crime rate.

The bill is SB549 and can be found here.