Crime data rises; activism offers hope for turnaround

Perceptions can be precarious, but then again, so can statistics.

It’s important we not rely on anecdotal incidents to set public policy and overreact to situations that may not represent the entire situation.

Cape Girardeau police chief Wes Blair addressed the city council with crime stats at a recent meeting, and the numbers showed some troubling trends.

From 2012 through 2016, the chief noted, the community experienced 19 homicides. The previous five years ending in 2011, the city recorded seven homicides.

That’s a pretty large increase when looking at the percentage increase. Let’s be clear that each homicide is a tragedy, when someone loses his or her life. These are crimes for which there is no recovery.

But these are still small numbers, relatively speaking, and when dealing with small numbers, it doesn’t take much for the percentage increase to look pretty bad. And the city of Cape Girardeau is growing as a regional hub, so there are many more people traveling through our city every day.

But other types of crimes also are growing: rapes/sex offenses, vehicle thefts, aggravated assaults and burglaries. Many of these crimes, probably most, are connected to the drug culture. Drug possession cases have climbed nearly 42 percent, and drug-sale cases have jumped more than 56 percent.

Meanwhile, the Cape PD saw a dramatic decrease in the number of nuisance calls, especially for maintenance of overgrown weeds on properties.

Blair said at the meeting that getting illegal guns off the street comes down to prosecution.

That probably is true to some extent, but we see a complex problem of increasing drug crimes and creeping gun violence having complex solutions. And while many people are quick to judge in forums and comment sections that the more-violent and dangerous neighborhoods need to do more to solve their own problems, we would like to point out they are.

There is a movement building in Cape Girardeau’s south side, one we’ve been covering for more than a year. Concerned citizens in Cape Girardeau’s rough neighborhoods are engaging. They’re holding regular prayer meetings, meeting as groups to talk and discuss the problems. They’re visiting with police, going to government meetings, asking for resources to help improve their neighborhoods by condemning properties and securing money for parks so children have a safe place to play. Some are raising private funds to invest for a community center. Schools are doing more to reach out to impoverished children.

The problem of crime can’t and won’t be solved by a stronger and more vigilant policing alone. And the good news is that apathy once associated with crime on the south side is being replaced by conviction to act. This is wonderful to see.

While the numbers over the past five years show deteriorating data, crime numbers for 2017 show a safer city than in 2016. There are signs of encouragement building within the city, especially on the city’s south side. We hope to see that momentum build and those crime statistics tumble.