The scene just after the Nov. 2 shooting on South Hanover Street was chaotic.

Police had swarmed around the car hit by a hail of bullets. Their radios clicked and through the tinny speakers, voices squawked direction and information. The shooting victim was nowhere to be found, but as police searched, word came that he'd taken himself to Southeast Missouri Hospital.

I stood on a sidewalk two doors down from the crime scene, talking to the sergeant in charge of the scene about how to do my job without getting in his way. We'd paused while he answered a query over his walkie talkie. A small woman bundled in a blue winter coat drew up beside me. The victim's mother.

"My son, they said he was shot," she said to the police officer. He called another officer over, to take the woman to the hospital. She and I were alone for a moment and she was -- as any mother would be -- half out of her mind with worry. A moment later, the police officer whisked her away.

Meanwhile, people clustered on the periphery of the scene, made more surreal by the flashing police lights. Photographer Fred Lynch set up his camera. I turned to talk to some people standing on a nearby porch.

They were scared and angry. Some were made at the police; all were angry with the victim and the gunman. No one wanted their names in my newspaper. But they talked to me, voices filled with rage over another shooting and worry for their children and themselves.

One woman's comment stood out.

"This is a good neighborhood with good people�."

But South Hanover Street, particularly the 300 and 400 blocks, has a reputation for trouble. Drugs, loud parties, loose dogs, litter, unsupervised children ... a litany of ills, all superceded by bullets on that night.

Reporter Bridget DiCosmo, photographer Elizabeth Dodd and I decided to see what, if anything, could be done on a street with a record of six shootings this year (and three more near the corner of Bloomfield Street) and a host of other troubles. Our story will be in Sunday's paper.

Some numbers

A few relevant details that wouldn't fit into the story:

Police have issued 12 citations for noise violations on South Hanover this year; last year, seven citations were given out.

In 2007, one person was cited for a curfew violation; so far this year, two have been cited.

While noise and curfew violations seem pretty minor compared to gunfire, police told us that small citations are the only way of sending a message to culprits. It is not against the law to gather in a group on private property.

Police have responded to 196 incidents reported by South Hanover Street residents, from shootings to traffic issues and nuisance calls. Taken block-by-block, here's a breakout:

100: 0

200: 0

300: 94

400: 73

500: 29

Lights out

I've been driving around the neighborhood, sometimes during the day and sometimes at night. Few porchlights are on.

A lot of the streetlights are out of commission. I called Geoffrey Dial, special projects coordinator for the city of Cape Girardeau's public works department. He said AmerenUE is responsible for maintaining the lights.

"The city just pays the electric bill," he said. But he and others can alert AmerenUE to the need for new bulbs.

War zone?

In a letter to the editor printed just two days before the Nov. 2 shooting, Cape Girardeau resident Chris Huckstep called for some action by city officials.

He compared South Hanover Street to East St. Louis.

"It's amazing that a town this size has gun shootings, drug busts and fighting among large crowds of people so frequently.

The majority of people in town do not condone and are not the ones participating in these acts. Cape officials need to quit burying their heads in the sand and meet with local law enforcement to spearhead an effort to clean up the streets of this beautiful city."

A voice from the neighborhood

The other day, we received this e-mail at the Southeast Missourian:

"I live on "the nice part" of Cousin street.

In the early 70's I could walk to Semo U through Hanover Street without

being afraid.

I couldn't say that today.

One sees grown men, middle of the day standing on the corner.The litter is mind boggling. A couple of years ago I was schocked by it and decided to start picking it up. The next day it would be as bad. I asked a man if he cared if I picked up in his yard, he said it was useless.

I hated to give up but I did.

It is the same area that a policeman was struck and injured on the 4th of July a few years ago.We were driving home after downtown fireworks and there was chaos.

I admire the police and wish them all the luck in the world.

We need strong families and involved parents.

Please do not use my name for safety and privacy reasons."

Now what?

So, what would you suggest — constructively — that people living on South Hanover (or any similarly troubled street) can do to get beyond the fear?

What can they do to change the neighborhood for the better?