County patrol ratio is even worse

To the editor:

Thanks for allowing me to respond to a Speak Out comment titled "Skewed statistics."

First off, the numbers are not skewed. The total population of Cape Girardeau County is 71,161. Of the total, 35,993 live in Cape Girardeau, 12,751 live in Jackson and the remaining 22,417 live in the out-county area. There are 48 patrolmen in the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Therefore, the ratio is one patrolman to every 749 citizens. There are 13 patrolmen in the Jackson Police Department. Therefore, the ratio is one patrolman to every 980 citizens. There are 13 patrol deputies in the sheriff's department for the out-county area. Therefore, the ratio is one deputy per every 1,724 citizens. I stand corrected, the ratio is actually worse than the one-to-1,600 that I quoted in my presentation before the Cape Girardeau City Council.

As to the comment that 173 people leaving the sheriff's department over the past 11 years was not very different from a lot other companies of similar size, I simply say name them. Pick up the phone. I am easy to reach at 243-3551.

JOHN JORDAN, Sheriff, Cape Girardeau County, Jackson