QUALITIES OF LIFE, CAPE GIRARDEAU; SPECIAL REPORT: PUBLIC SAFETY: IS CAPE GIRARDEAU A SAFE PLACE?

Is Cape Girardeau a safe place to live?

It's the million-dollar question for potential home-buyers, job-takers and business entrepreneurs, though not an easy one to answer. The statistics aren't conclusive: Reports of violent crime is down, but reports of crimes against property continues to climb.

A report on the quality of life released recently by the city's Chamber of Commerce analyzes public safety along with other indicators.

The report, gathered by a special committee, looks at eight indicators over a five-year period from 1990-1995.

The report isn't definitive, police say. While the report shows that the police department's response time is up, it neglects to mention that emergency response time is still three minutes and under.

Other information is more clear. For example, the report reveals that the number of motor vehicle accidents was at the highest it had been during the period in 1995, when over 600 accidents were reported in the city limits.

Burglaries were way up in 1996, due in large part, police say, to the elderly break-ins that were dubbed "home invasions."

The number of crimes cleared in 1995 was nearly 35 percent, the report shows. The police call response time has climbed from 10 minutes in 1990 to nearly 14 minutes in 1995, though the department maintains an emergency response time of three minutes and under.

The city fire department is staying the course, with a good national ranking and a solid emergency response time, according the report, titled Quality of Life in Cape Girardeau.

Nationally and within the state, Cape Girardeau ranks well as far as safe towns and cities go.

Despite an economic boon and a growing population, Cape Girardeau remains in the lower statistic's lower half in regards crime.