ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE PLAYS GAME WITH SECRECY OVER GUARDED OFFICE IN CAPE

A recent situation at the Missouri attorney general's Cape Girardeau office raised many questions, but the public ended up with no answers.

In the last week of June, it was noticed that the front doors to the office at 2860 N. Mount Auburn Rd. -- an office even many local lawyers didn't know existed -- were locked during office hours and a private security guard was posted.

Office personnel deflected all inquiries to Attorney General Jay Nixon's spokesman in Jefferson City. The spokesman refused say why the new security measures were in place or how long they would remain, only revealing, after much prodding, that they would be "temporary." As of last week, it seems the situation -- whatever it was -- has been resolved as a guard no longer stands vigil.

There are legitimate reasons for heightened security -- either temporary or permanent -- at a government building. However, the public has some right to know why money is being spent to hire private security guards at a taxpayer-funded facility .

No one was asking attorney general's officials for detailed descriptions of security procedures at the office, only for the reason for the lockdown. That question could have been answered without compromising the safety of office personnel. The public deserves as much.