Cape police department halts practice of escorting funerals

Cape Girardeau residents have gotten used to flashing police lights at the front of funeral processions, but that has changed.

Cape Girardeau police no longer are providing escorts for funeral processions. The department sent letters to Crain, McCombs and Ford and Sons funeral homes detailing reasons for the decision, which took effect Sept. 1.

Police Lt. Brad Smith gave three reasons for the department's decision.

The first is a full escort -- including a police car out front to control intersections, a car leading the procession and a car at the tail of the procession -- does not ensure vehicles in the middle of the procession will be safe from traffic, particularly in a procession of 15 or more cars.

McCombs funeral director Christi Guilliams said an escort does not ensure outside vehicles will not mix with the procession.

Second, in the event of a collision with a vehicle in procession, the city could be liable for damages.

Smith could not recall an instance where a vehicle in a funeral procession was involved in a collision.

"Most of the time, there are not enough officers to cover all intersections properly," stated the letter sent to each funeral home. "There are so many unpredictable and moving parts in an escort that require more than just one officer to cover the entire procession, this decision was made to protect the public and those in the funeral procession."

Third, Cape Girardeau police are concerned about tying up the time of two or more officers on a procession.

The department had 56,387 calls for service in 2015, up by nearly 6,000 from the year before. The department has 49 patrolmen according to the 2015-2016 budget, although officers of higher rank often respond to calls.

"I understand," Guilliams said of the police department's decision. "Sometimes there's down time, because we can't predict how long a funeral is going to last. They're sitting there waiting, and they could be doing something else."

Funeral processions now will be required to follow all traffic laws, Smith said.

Guilliams said McCombs funeral homes has about 35 to 40 processions a year. Crain has about 15 processions a year, funeral director Jon Shaffer said. McCombs said Ford and Sons would have a much higher number of processions, but a Ford and Sons funeral director declined to comment.

Guilliams and Shaffer said they had concerns about safety and part of the procession getting separated, but they understand the reasons the department has given.

They pointed out there have been past processions that have gone forward without an escort because one was not available.

Shaffer and Guilliams said not much will change for their respective funeral homes, including having a car with flashing lights at the front of the procession, which is required by Missouri Law.

"It was a great help to us through town," Shaffer said. "We'll still get the job done; it may just take a little more time."

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address: 40 S. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, MO