PATROL FIELDS QUESTIONS AT TOWN HALL MEETING

Speed, gambling, and police stations were the topics of questions aimed at the Missouri State Highway Patrol Thursday night at a Town Hall Meeting in Cape Girardeau.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is celebrating it's 65th year in the state. From 55 officers it has grown to a force of more than 2,000, Sgt. Brent Davis said. Troop E patrols 13 counties in Southeast Missouri.

Some of the 35 local residents on hand at the meeting queried Troop E officers on local developments.

Since the approval of gambling in the state, 130 state highway patrol officers have been assigned to special duty around the gaming boats. Besides conducting extensive background checks on those applying for a license and employees of gaming establishments, officers have been on increased patrol around the boats. These officers' salaries, equipment and cars are all paid by the gaming establishments but the officers are still state employees, Cpt. Morris Patrick said.

"You could take a poll in this room and half might be for gaming and half might be against it. But it's here. The Legislature passed it and gave us the responsibility to police it," Patrick said. "So we're going to do the best job we can."

Patrick said the highway patrol takes that responsibility seriously.

"We've sent officers overseas doing background checks," he said. "Some people think we run too tight of a ship."

The recently-elevated speed limits have claimed 51 more lives this year in the nation than at the same time last year, Patrick said.

"Speed kills," he said. "Highway patrols throughout the nation were unified in opposing the increased speed limit. We said from the start that if you're going to do it you have to be willing to pay the cost and the cost will be lives."

Patrick said he was surprised that the climb from 55 mph to 70 mph on most interstates has not caused more deaths. "I thought we'd have some real carnage by now."

He attributes this to people gradually increasing their speeds as they become accustomed to the higher limit. He predicted the loss of lives will only increase as more people inch up to 70 mph.

The communications tower at the Sikeston highway patrol satellite office will be coming down soon, reflecting a modernization of the patrol's communication system.

The Sikeston facility has not been removed but it has been revamped. Patrick said the city will not see a reduction in patrols or services from the highway patrol, but the utilization of telephone lines has removed the necessity of having a tower at a satellite station.