Crime in Cape and most of region dropped in 2013

NOTE: Full-year crime statistics for 2013 were not available at press time. In the interest of making statistically valid comparisons, the numbers mentioned in this article are based on the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Uniform Crime Reporting data for the first 11 months of each year.

If statistics from the Missouri State Highway Patrol are any indication, crime was on the decline last year across most of Southeast Missouri.

Full-year statistics aren't available yet, but for the period through Nov. 30, the Cape Girardeau Police Department, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department and Perry County Sheriff's Department all reported their lowest total crime indexes in at least five years.

Elsewhere, crime was down in Scott and Stoddard counties compared to 2012.

Cape Girardeau

The Cape Girardeau Police Department had a total crime index of 2,088 during the first 11 months of 2013, compared to 2,675 for the same period in 2012 -- a 22 percent reduction.

Under uniform crime reporting practices, an area's total crime index is based on what the FBI classifies as Part I crimes -- criminal homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson. The first four categories are classified as violent crimes, while the last four are classified as property crimes.

Violent crime was up slightly, rising from 224 reports in 2012 to 237 reports in 2013, but property crimes dropped precipitously, from 2,512 in 2012 to 1,931 last year.

Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said the department used "directed patrols" to help reduce crime.

With directed patrols, the department has officers work overtime to monitor certain areas or look for specific types of crimes, Hickey said.

"We had some when we saw an influx of crime in certain areas," he said.

For instance, directed patrols addressed problems with downtown property damage, vehicle thefts and seasonal crime near retail areas, Hickey said.

Regular patrol officers often are too busy responding to calls to spend an entire shift patrolling one specific area or looking for a certain type of crime, he said.

By bringing extra officers onto a shift, the department can expand its coverage and increase its crime-prevention efforts, Hickey said.

"Whenever you have extra officers on, they're able to be more proactive," he said.

The city had to pay for the overtime, but the investment paid off, Hickey said.

"You can see by our directed patrols, we are lowering the crime rate," he said.

Cape Girardeau County

In Cape Girardeau County, the total crime index fell from 3,365 reports in the first 11 months of 2012 to 2,637 for the same period in 2013.

Violent crime was up slightly, rising from 259 in 2012 to 277 last year, but property crimes declined steeply, from 3,168 to 2,447.

Capt. Ruth Ann Dickerson of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department said several factors likely played into the drop.

The department hired additional officers, and mobile laptops allowed deputies to spend less time in the office and more time on the street, Dickerson said.

Computers also may have helped with crime prevention at the civilian level, Dickerson said, noting security systems have become cheaper and easier to use, thanks to the popularity of wireless technology.

"They've gone down in price. They're just a little easier (to) access," she said. "They're just a little easier to put in place."

Residents can help drive the numbers even lower by remaining vigilant and working with deputies to provide information when crimes occur, Dickerson said.

Perry County

Perry County also saw a decrease in its total crime index, from 276 in 2012 to 248 in 2013. Violent crimes were up a little -- from 25 to 30 -- but the number of property crimes dropped from 253 to 219.

Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf attributed the decline to hard work and an emphasis on drug enforcement.

"The more drug-related arrests you have, the fewer property crimes and assaults you have, and on top of that, it's just having the right people in the right positions with the right equipment and the right training and the authority to use it," Schaaf said.

He said violent crime statistics aren't always reliable, because such crimes often are not reported promptly.

"It is probably fairly stable," Schaaf said.

He said Perry County deputies are aggressive about following up on cases, even tracking down stolen property in other states.

For instance, Schaaf said, someone stole guns in Perry County several years ago. Deputies eventually found the weapons at a pawnshop in Illinois.

"We do a lot of checks and look around a lot of places," he said.

Schaaf isn't resting on his laurels.

"There's still some out there we'd like to catch," he said.

Elsewhere

In Scott County, violent crimes were down -- 360 in 2013, compared to 427 in 2013 -- but property crime was at its highest in five years, with 1,223 reports.

Meanwhile, Stoddard County saw a drop in both violent and property crimes, with violent crime reaching a five-year low of 47 reports and property crime reports dropping from 617 to 535.

Bollinger County saw a slight increase -- its total crime index was 148 for the first 11 months of 2013, compared to 135 for the same period in 2012 -- with violent crimes doubling from 17 to 34.

The reason for the rise was not immediately clear, but the county's small population (12,828 residents) and correspondingly small number of reported crimes make it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions from the data.

Despite the increase, based on its total crime index, Bollinger County had the lowest per capita crime rate of the five counties in the Southeast Missourian's coverage area, with about one crime for every 87 residents.

By comparison, Scott County had the highest per capita rate, with about one crime per every 27 people.

Scott, Stoddard and Bollinger County officials could not be reached for comment last week.

epriddy@semissourian.com

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