NEW SHERIFF REALIGNS STAFF, MAKES CHANGES

JACKSON -- Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan embodies one of the laws of physics: A body in motion will remain in motion.

Elected in November, Jordan has spent the last month rushing between crime scenes, meetings and telephone calls.

He has made some changes in the department and has argued for additional funds for the department.

Jordan edged out Democrat Benny Hinton for the sheriff's seat, filling Norman Copeland's unexpired term. The new sheriff formerly was commander of the area's major case squad and was supervisor of the investigative division of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department.

Copeland hired Jordan from the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department in 1986. When he decided to step down as sheriff, Copeland endorsed Jordan's candidacy.

Now Jordan can look back at the election and appreciate the unique way he has come up through the ranks.

"Politics shouldn't even play a roll in law enforcement, but I accept that that's the way it is," he said. "I was willing to get out and meet as many people as I could, and I got extremely good endorsements from current and past law enforcement officials."

Jordan said his desire to foster cooperation between law enforcement agencies likely helped him get some of the crucial endorsements.

His biggest challenge has been learning the administrative chores the job requires.

After working in the department for years, Jordan was able to identify several changes he wanted to make when he took office.

He first realigned supervisory positions so that the jail administrator, Lt. Mike Morgan, now reports directly to the sheriff instead of to a captain.

"Jails are always a sheriff's biggest headache," Jordan said. "If you have a jail, you are going to be sued by the people in it.

"With the administrator reporting directly to me, I know what is going on in there. There aren't any go-betweens."

Another realignment, which Jordan said will go to the Cape Girardeau County Commission next week for approval, provided for two captains who will oversee various divisions of the sheriff's department.

One will be over field operations and the other over business administration. But captains will report to Jordan.

Currently a chief deputy oversees all divisions and reports to Jordan.

Although the changes have come quickly, Jordan denied rumors he is "cleaning house."

"Contrary to the rumors, only two people have left, and they left on their own," he said.

"Interim Sheriff Leonard Hines wished me well and left the department. Jail administrator Lt. Michael Hurst was offered another position and refused it, and he left on his own."

The changes should come slower now, but Jordan said he would argue for additional staff for his 40-member department.

First, he wants funding for an additional rural patrolman. He also wants a full-time civil process server. The county's patrolmen and three bailiffs currently use part of their days to serve summonses and other court documents.

Jordan said the additional staff is needed to accommodate a huge increase in civil suits filed in the past four years.

About 1,000 suits were filed in the county in fiscal year 1990. Almost 3,000 were filed in fiscal year 1994.

"Process serving takes away from community policing," Jordan said. "We are public servants, and if we don't have time to speak with the public, we don't know what's going on."

In his limited spare time, Jordan said he will try to implement his new philosophy for his office -- an open door, an open ear and an open mind.