ASHCROFT FOCUSES ON CRIME ISSUES DURING VISIT WITH LAW OFFICERS

Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Ashcroft was in Cape Girardeau Wednesday to ask law enforcement officers about the problems they face dealing with crime.

The visit included a patrol car ride with Capt. Steve Strong to parts of the city where officers have battled drug dealers and other offenders.

Later, at the Cape Girardeau Police Station, a discussion with about 30 area law enforcement officers focused primarily on the need to deal with juvenile offenders and to find ways to strengthen families.

One juvenile officer told Ashcroft how children as young as 7 were being used by parents to help them shoplift in local stores.

Several suggested that the family needs to be re-defined as a unit that provides a safe living environment for children.

Children who are abused often grow up to become criminals, the police told Ashcroft.

Ashcroft said some changes do need to be made and noted, "Our government is not family friendly."

The group agreed that Division of Youth Services detention centers don't have enough beds to allow offenders to stay in custody as long as they should be, that many juveniles know the limitations placed on police officers dealing with youthful offenders, and that accessing the records of juvenile offenders is too difficult.

Ashcroft said he understood the need to make major changes in laws governing juvenile offenders. "Many of the law enforcement challenges we have are related to juvenile infractions," Ashcroft said. "I am trying to learn all I can about it."

He suggested that parents need to take more responsibility for their children and said reforming the welfare system to require recipients to work, stay off drugs, and send their children to school would be go a long way toward addressing the problem.

Ashcroft inquired about the impact of the DARE program's efforts to encourage youths to stay off drugs in Cape Girardeau.

One officer said he believed DARE is "a very important step," but added, "as long as the demand is there, there will be suppliers."