POLICE SEEK TO REACH OUT IN COMMUNITY

The Cape Girardeau Police Department's plan to establish two police substations -- one in the Good Hope District and another on the West Side -- is an idea whose time has come.

The substations, which police call community offices, are being set up to establish a greater police presence and visibility in those areas. The first office is expected to open in June in a building formerly occupied by Dr. George Ringland at 629 Good Hope. Plans are to open the other in October in West Park Mall.

The Good Hope district is especially a good place for a police office because of the crime that takes place in the area. Before a police crackdown earlier in this decade, drug dealing was rampant, taking place on the streets in broad daylight. Open-air drug transactions aren't as commonplace anymore, but there are loitering, littering and drinking, which can and do lead to other problems.

With an office in the area, police will have a permanent presence that should help deter a lot of the incidents that sometimes lead to trouble. Police will be able to respond quickly should trouble arise, and like community officers who work the neighborhood now, be able to establish an even better relationship with the people with whom they deal.

Funding for the Good Hope office primarily will come from federal Weed and Seed program grants. The plan calls for the office to provide a headquarters for the Weed and Seed director, a community room for after-school activities and a computer room for public use.

The also city will pay the cost of an office at West Park Mall, which will house a community room in which various civic events will be held. There is no crime problem in or around the mall, but because so many people shop there, it will give the department excellent public visibility. An important plus for the mall location will be that police can respond faster when needed on the west end of town.

The substations plan follows the department's assigning of an officer to Central High School for the first time this school year in a program that allows students to get to know the police.

This community-oriented approach by police under the direction of Chief Rick Hetzel is a good one that will greatly enhance the public's perspective of the police department and help further promote a new spirit of cooperation between the public and police.