CITY OFFICIALS HOPE NEW COMMISSION WILL PROMOTE PEACE

The anger and frustration many residents voiced about a June 11 confrontation between police and residents of the Good Hope area has evolved into an idea city officials hope will bring peace to the community.

The incident, in which eight policemen were injured, occurred when police tried to make a drug arrest and about 150 people gathered and some threw objects.

In the wake of the incident, about residents met with city officials at a town hall meeting at a church to voice their concerns.

At the meeting, it was suggested the city create an advisory board to make recommendations to the police department --- something the Cape Girardeau City Council agreed to investigate.

It has been almost two months since the melee, and after more discussion and studying, the city will undertake a project to expand the board from just police matters to include other issues of the community.

"What was originally proposed was more of a reaction," said Councilman Tom Neumeyer. "We are now looking at more of a positive response."

The idea is to have a human relations commission to address a range of issues from race to socioeconomic concerns within the community.

City Manager Michael Miller said a human relations board seems to be the best solution because the board would be able to do more than just deal with police issues.

He said there at least six ways people can get an investigation of a police department already. They can go to the department's internal investigations, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the U.S. Equal Opportunities Commission.

"An individual can spark an investigation," Miller said, but a police advisory board would be too narrow a focus and would be a duplication of services other agencies already provide. This is not to say human relations issues concerning the police department would be ignored by the commission.

"The whole idea is to put forth a vehicle for people to have another voice into city government," said the Rev. David Allen, pastor of the St. James AME Church and president of the Cape Girardeau chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Councilman Frank Stoffregen disagreed. He thinks the people already have a way to be involved in city government.

"We elect city councilmen from every area of the city to do what these guys will be doing," Stoffregen said. "It is kind of a duplication of commissions."

Stoffregen said the people always have access to members of the council.

"That is why city councilmen have their phone numbers listed," Stoffregen said.

Stoffregen opposes the police advisory board because it would be an admission there is a problem with the police department.

"The police did nothing wrong," Stoffregen said. "I can't say enough good about what the police did in showing the restraint that they did."

Stoffregen would support a human relations board if it were done right.

"Are we going to do this for just a few people at the expense of the many?" he asked. "Or is this going to really be something for the betterment of the city? That is something we will have to look into."

Neumeyer said the intent of the board is not to exclude people, but to be a board that emphasizes diversity and encourages people to live peacefully.

"One of the roles of government is protecting the citizens," Neumeyer said. "We want to make sure that all of our citizens have all the protection and opportunities they deserve. To me, how can you object to that?"

The board will help people communicate and create programs to that end. It also will be an instrument to promote civility among the people. More importantly, it will be a place people can go and feel comfortable about explaining their problems.

"A human relations board is not going to solve all of the problems in this community," said Councilman Jay Purcell. "It will allow the citizens of the community to give some input."

The specifics of how the board will work and how many members will be on it haven't been determined. Miller said the board will be advisory only and members will be appointed by the city council like other boards.

"My main concern is that we make sure that we have representation from the entire community -- particularly the south end of town," Allen said.

Miller, Councilman Richard Eggimann, Neumeyer and Purcell agree a board specializing in diversity should be diverse, but the problem is how to make it that way without prescribing a formula for the board's members.

"We need some representation from throughout the community," Miller said. "I don't know how it is going to come about."

Miller is open to ideas and suggestions as he puts together a proposal for the city council. It will take time to develop, he said, but it is an idea he hopes to sell to the community.

"One of the great things about this town is that ideas don't scare people," Miller said.

Allen said a human relations commission is something Cape Girardeau needs, but the city also needs more from its families and churches.

NAACP members spent a Saturday picking up trash on Middle Street and will do it again. Allen said the city needs more of that kind of activity.

"Right now I would say everybody has fallen behind," Allen said. "Churches, homes and government. It needs to come from all areas of life, including government."