COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE STEPS TO KEEP CRIMINALS ON THE RUN

When you talk about the basic needs of citizens in any community, high on the list is safety. Parks are nice in enhancing quality of life, and improved streets make life more tolerable ... but safety is fundamental. It is with this priority in mind that the Cape Girardeau City Council should consider a plan unveiled last week to combat street crime. We think the timing is right for a vigorous anti-crime push.

Driving this need is the presence and profitability of drug sales in the region and community. Illegal drugs -- particularly inexpensive, accessible and highly addictive crack cocaine -- serve as a catalyst for many other crime problems experienced by local citizens and dealt with by law enforcement authorities: burglaries, assaults, shootings, and so on. In taking a vigorous and resourceful approach to enforcement over the last year, particularly in the rousting of crack dealers from the 400 block of Good Hope, police have sent the purveyors of this contraband on the run. We'd like to keep it that way.

The approach taken in a plan outlined by Cape Girardeau Police Chief Howard Boyd Jr. is one of pooling resources, educating the public and strengthening the forces that battle crime. Participation in a regional law enforcement cooperative, designed to pressure drug dealers through "high profile" investigations, would be facilitated by this plan, as would stepping up community service programs aimed at crime prevention. In all, the staff of the police department would grow by 10 officers over a three-year period, with some of the money for salaries possibly available through federal sources.

If the idea of increasing the police department staffing by 10 members seems excessive, consider that the force, with full implementation of this plan, would number fewer than 70. Consider, too, that Cape Girardeau is a regional hub for commerce, medical care, entertainment, and so on. On this weekend, for example, with Parents' Day at Southeast Missouri State University, concerts scheduled and a football game at Houck Stadium, in addition to the ordinary crowd of shoppers, the number of the people in the city might double the normal population of 35,000. Police respond to calls from visitors as well as residents, and their forces are taxed on these frequent occasions.

The council, which included funding for two additional police officers in the current budget, has been responsive to the needs of public safety. One councilman, Doug Richards, whose background is in law enforcement, even suggested last week that the timetable for implementation of the proposal is too drawn-out; he wants to know if the budget can handle more officers more quickly, and we would like to know the same thing. While we recognize the realities of tight budgets, we also know that crack dealers should not be given room to light in some new location and feel comfortable.

Crime, like water, goes where it is unimpeded. We believe the public dollars of Cape Girardeau are well spent supplying an impediment to criminals. The addition of officers does not automatically translate into reduced crime, but we think the additions proposed by Chief Boyd are on the mark in terms of impact on criminal activities in the city. The council should view this strategy with favor.