BOOST POLICE PAY

Equitable pay for officers of the Cape Girardeau Police Department has been a reoccurring topic of discussion between city and law enforcement officials for several years.

Turnover in the department has been too high in recent years. More than 30 percent of the officers have been on the force less than two years. Many of these officers undergo extensive local training and then move onto higher-paid departments.

The Cape Girardeau City Council should make law enforcement salaries a priority in next year's budget. These officers -- who put their lives on the line each and every day -- deserve greater compensation. And the people of Cape Girardeau would be better served by a lower turnover rate in the department because more time could be spent on the streets as opposed to training.

Granted, the city of Cape Girardeau doesnt have thousands of dollars just lying around. Starting pay in the police department is $19,380. End pay for patrolmen is $26,441. Compare that to a teacher's salary in the Cape Girardeau Public Schools. The starting salary right out of college is $20,750, and the top salary is $40,290 with a master's degree plus 30 additional college credit hours and a number of years of experience.

While police pay has remained somewhat stagnant here, Missouri training requirements have increased rather dramatically. A new state law in 1994 increased the minimum number of training hours to 300 from 120. The minimum will climb to 470 hours this August.

Local police salaries are among the lowest in the state in comparable-sized cities. Jefferson City, which is also on the low end of the pay scale, starts its officers at $21,330.

Cape Girardeau officers are asking for a 12 percent across-the-board raise this year. While the city may not be able to afford quite that much, perhaps a multiple-year schedule of increased compensation could be implemented.

Top-quality officers are critical to Cape Girardeau's quality of life. Efficient officer response and sufficient manpower have a direct impact on crime in the streets.