SOME FEARS ARE CALMED IN CAIRO

CAIRO, Ill. -- Many residents of this city's housing projects are feeling better these days.

"Things appear to have quieted down some, but I'm still not going out at night," said a resident of Elmwood Place, a housing complex in Cairo.

"There's really no reason for going out," added the resident, who request anonymity. "Most everything here closes by 8 p.m. anyway."

A resident of McBride Place, located in a downtown sector of the city, still sleeps on the floor. He doesn't go out at night, but he feels a lot safer.

"I've been sleeping on the floor several months," said the man, who also wanted to remain anonymous. "It's safer. You don't have to worry about getting hit by a stray bullet coming in the window."

Stray bullets may be fewer these days in Cairo.

With the presence of the Illinois State Police in the city, fewer street incidents are being reported.

The Illinois State Police are making their appearances in response to a request by Cairo Mayor James Wilson's request in mid-April. Five state police cars made their first appearance in the city April 20.

Since then, state police units have been in and out of the city, placing emphasis on McBride Place and Elmwood Place,

Capt. Burl Pickett of the Cairo Police Department agrees that things are better.

"The perception in the community is that things are quieter these days," said Pickett. "We still have calls for disturbance, but lately we've had enough manpower to handle them."

Pickett said the state police ~comes in and out at different times.

"There's no pattern to their visits and this is good," said Pickett. "Nobody knows just when they'll be here, or how long they will stay. It's more effective this way. This helps keep a lot of gang activity off the streets.

"If we get wind that something may be up, we give the state police a call and they're here in a hurry," added Pickett.

"We welcome the state police's help," said Pickett, who was chief of police until recently when he announced his resignation to return to his previous duties as Cairo's representative on the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force. "We've been limited with our police department here, with only 11 people on the force.

"The state police appearances here are creating a better image," said Mayor Wilson. "Things have been more positive during the past month to six weeks. Things have been quieter."

Wilson, who is also director of the Alexander County Housing Authority, which include the two housing complexes, says people living in those areas have expressed gratitude for the appearances of the state police.

"The people of the city of Cairo have been under siege by drug trafficking gangs," said Wilson. "We don't have the manpower to fight the problem. We're been seeing a regional situation here. People have been coming into Cairo and setting up shop in the public housing projects."

Mark Clarke, Alexander County State's Attorney, agrees that things have been quieter since the state police started patrolling the city in late April.

"The presence of the state police in providing additional manpower to patrol the city has, in my opinion, had a significant impact in deterring the street crime that we have endured over past several months here," said Clarke. "The number of reports across my desk reflect a decrease in the amount of gang activity and drug activity on the street."

Clarke added that "although the problems have not magically disappeared, the assistance of the state police has been invaluable, at least in deflecting the levels of increases."

Another citizen, who lives in an area between the uptown and downtown housing projects, says things have improved to some degree, "but we still have that element here that wants something for nothing.

"The drug problem is one thing," he said. "That can be controlled. But, you're always going to have those people who always want to complain about everything."