QUALITIES OF LIFE, CAPE GIRARDEAU; SPECIAL REPORT: PUBLIC SAFETY; PROPERTY CRIME, DRUGS TOP POLICE CONCERNS

Property crimes and drugs currently top the list of Cape Girardeau safety concerns, police officials say, and there is a direct connection between the two.

"There is a direct correlation between drugs and all types of crime," said Cape Girardeau Police Chief Rick Hetzel. "Whenever you see the use and production of drugs increase, you'll see an increase in crime."

Reported property crimes rose 15 percent last year, police statistics show. The number of burglaries climbed from 310 to 480, a 55 percent increase. Larceny saw a 9 percent increase and 20 percent more vehicles were reported stolen in 1996 than the previous year.

Meanwhile, reported violent crimes, which include rape, robbery and aggravated assault saw an 18 percent decrease last year.

But police officials say that the drug problem -- with an emphasis on methamphetamine production -- is getting worse every day.

"I think the methamphetamine problem is going to get worse before it gets better," Hetzel said. "I don't think we've seen a drug problem like this since crack cocaine."

He said that Missouri is the second largest methamphetamine producer in the U.S., second only to California. And within the state, Southeast Missouri is one of the largest areas of meth production, he said.

The best way to combat that problem is through community awareness, Hetzel said. "We have got to reach the community on how significant a problem this is," Hetzel said.

He said that businesses should watch for large purchases of starter fluid, one of the main components of methamphetamine. And people should watch their neighborhoods. Meth production causes a smell of ether in the air. Hetzel said that if people smell that, they should call police.

"We want people to report suspicious activity and for the business community to watch out for suspicious purchases," Hetzel said.

Stealing is also one of the more prevalent problems in Cape Girardeau and it always has been, said police Sgt. Carl Kinnison.

There were more than 2,300 reports of larceny in 1996, up from 2,167 the previous year.

"It's always been one of the big problems here, as long as I've been here," Kinnison said. "It's not a good thing, but if you had to choose one of those to have, stealing's not the worst."

But crime -- and its impact -- are not police problems, Hetzel said; they are community problems.

"I think we have a very safe community," Hetzel said. "I think this safe community is a direct reflection on the community itself. The police department is the mechanism that community uses to keep it safe."

But he warns citizens not to be lulled into a false sense of security. He said that creates vulnerability and that people do have to lock their doors, take their keys out of their cars and be aware of their surroundings.

The police department is currently adequately staffed, Hetzel said, adding that more officers may have to be hired in the future, however.

"Economic development and growth are going to create some concern for the police department in that area," Hetzel said.

He said that while there are currently only three minority officers, none of whom are high-ranking, he has an open-door promotional process and the most qualified are hired and promoted.