By Brent Engel

It's a fast-growing crime, and Margaret Donnelly wants to stop it.

Donnelly, a state representative from the St. Louis suburb of Richmond Heights, is one of four people seeking the Democratic nomination for Missouri Attorney General. She visited Marion and Ralls counties Monday.

One of Donnelly's priorities if elected would be fighting elder abuse.

"Elderly and disabled people are being taken advantage of by scam artists," said Donnelly, 54. "It's very important we focus on what I think is a vulnerable group."

By Joe Mahr

Acknowledging gaps that can aid felony fugitives, officials from Missouri and
Illinois advocate greater efforts to hunt fugitives, alert police elsewhere and
generate more public tips.

"It is an unacceptable position to be in to have fugitives - particularly on
the more serious offenses, felonies - where they'll able to flee and be free to
commit more additional crimes," said Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Mike
Gibbons, R-Kirkwood. "We definitely need to do better."

The push for change follows a Post-Dispatch investigation published last month
that showed hundreds of thousands of felony fugitives across the country can
flee and avoid arrest. The investigation found cases of fugitives let go by
police who have gone on to rape, rob and kill.

While federal officials and advocacy groups have suggested new laws and more
grants to close some gaps, elected officials from Missouri and Illinois say
there are additional steps each state can take.

MORE HUNTING

The FBI and U.S. Marshals Service oversee task forces that help hunt fugitives,
but they can tackle only a fraction of felony warrants issued by state courts.

State Rep. Margaret Donnelly, D-St. Louis, has called for a new unit within the highway patrol to not only hunt all types of fugitives but also to determine a statewide strategy to catch those wanted for crimes.

"I really believe you do best, when you have a statewide problem, to take a coordinated approach," Donnelly said, "and the most likely place for us to get the expertise and the best coordination is in the highway patrol."