Cape Girardeau residents tired of litter and stray dogs can prepare for better days ahead.
This summer, the police department hired its third nuisance abatement officer. Like the others in his department, Scott Eakers will collect strays, handle dog bite calls, write summonses for out-of-control yards and complete countless other tasks.
Chuck Stucker, a 15-year veteran of nuisance abatement work, said hiring a third officer will mean more enforcement and a cleaner, safer city.
His department inherited the job of dealing with weed complaints just this year. A retired police officer employed by the Public Works Department used to respond to complaints and issue summonses.
Stucker and another officer, Jim Barker, already were swamped with animal control and other calls before Eakers was hired. They didn't have any time to patrol the streets looking for problems -- they just responded to report after report all day long.
And because animal calls come first, weed complaints didn't receive prompt attention all the time.
"Animals are the priority," Stucker said. "Weeds don't go around biting people and tearing up property."
Now the three officers plan to do an organized sweep of the city. When they catch up with their current work, they will go from neighborhood to neighborhood, looking for overgrown, trashy lawns and dogs that roam free.
Stucker said he also wants to deal with dog owners in violation of the city's license law. Every dog in Cape Girardeau is required to have a special license. Local veterinarians stock the tags, or dog owners can get licenses at city hall if they bring proof their dog has been vaccinated for rabies.
While officers won't be looking in backyards, they may issue warnings or summonses to people out walking unlicensed animals.
The end result of all this work will be a cleaner Cape Girardeau, Stucker said.
"The animal control that we provide will be better, including everything from catching animals at large to picking up dead animals," he said. "By next summer, the town will look better."
Eakers, the new nuisance abatement officer, has been employed by the city for four years. His last position was at the solid waste transfer station.
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