Animals top nuisance calls in Cape in 2014

Cape Girardeau residents annoyed by their neighbors' pets can rest assured they are not alone.

Reports about animals made up the largest portion of nuisance-abatement calls in the city in 2014, according to the Cape Girardeau Police Department's annual report.

Of more than 7,500 calls made to the department reporting nuisances, nearly half -- 3,051 -- involved animals.

Information provided by the department's Nuisance Division says these reports consist of calls about dead animals and road kill, animals at large or detained, animal bites and follow-ups to animal bites, dead animals being disposed and animals being impounded at the Humane Society.

Of the 3,051 calls, 339 warnings and 41 summonses were issued. The only calls requiring a follow-up or summons are domestic animals at large or animal bites, according to the Nuisance Division.

Cape Girardeau ordinances say an animal is declared a public nuisance and is subject to abatement if it disturbs a person or neighborhood with loud and frequent barking or other noise; threatens or causes property damage to someone other than its owner; or causes a disturbance by being housed outside without being confined to a "solidly enclosed place" between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The total number of calls taken by the Nuisance Division was 7,510, down 1,341 from 2013. The calls resulted in 1,650 total warnings issued, down 429 from 2013, and 913 summonses, which was an increase from 28 in 2013.

The division has three full-time nuisance abatement officers. They are responsible for animal control, litter, disabled vehicles, quality-of-life issues and other health and nuisance-abatement issues, the annual report states.

Problems involving issues such as illegal parking and signage now are classified as nuisances; they previously had been under zoning. The classification was changed in 2014 "so every type of incident the department handles could be noted," the department said. As a result, the new statistics include zoning incidents the Nuisance Division handles at the request of other city departments.

Rounding out the 7,510 reports were calls on trash, weeds, signs, parking, vehicles and zoning, as well as other general nuisances.

kwebster@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

40 S Sprigg St, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

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Nuisance calls 2014

• Animals: 3,051
• Parking: 1,776
• Weeds: 753
• Trash: 629
• Miscellaneous: 536
• Nuisance: 344
• Vehicles: 321
• Signs: 185
• Zoning: 5

Source: Cape Girardeau Police Department 2014 annual report