Editorial: Evaluating safety, crime in Cape and beyond

Cape Girardeau had a violent month last summer.

You might remember it. There were headlines of homicide; four people had died within just a couple of weeks of each other. It was a scary time in Cape Girardeau, and many wondered what spurred the violence and if the city was coming unglued.

Not long after that, Ferguson, Missouri, erupted. You most likely know the story. An unarmed 18-year-old, who was black, was shot and killed by a white police officer. A national debate about racial profiling, police response and violent activity broke out across the country. Then there was a police choke-hold death in New York. And the narrative, and debate, over police response and violence in America continued.

With all of the emotion and debate orbiting the country, it's easy to surmise that crime is on the rise.

That may be so in some parts of the country, but not here in 2014.

As detailed in a story reported and written by Katherine Webster, Cape Girardeau saw fewer violent crimes in 2014 than in 2013. It dropped from 258 to 206. A violent crime is defined, for statistics-keeping purposes, as criminal homicide, rape, attempted rape and robbery. Cape also saw fewer property crimes in 2014 than the year before, from 2,018 to 1,643.

Countywide violent and property crime numbers fell as well.

It's difficult to put a finger on exactly why the numbers have dropped. Clearly Cape Girardeau city police are making an effort to be more connected and visible in rougher neighborhoods. But it's largely too early to tell if these initiatives are causing the drops. The type of police work the city is trying to accomplish is building relationships. That takes time, and it will take time to see the true benefits of such a strategy.

Let's not forget that when those homicides occurred, it was the people within the community who stood up and vowed to work toward ending the violence. The role of community togetherness and positive energy, particularly from churches, plays a key role in the healing, improvement and safety within those neighborhoods.

It should be noted that not all local jurisdictions showed a decrease in crimes.

Violent crimes trended upward in Perry and Scott counties, from 32 to 43 in Perry, and from 394 to 438 in Scott.

There will be flashes of violence in our city and community. It's inevitable. But statistics, as long as they are properly kept and submitted, are a much better way to evaluate safety than the emotional response immediately following a single event or series of major events.

We have room to improve in Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area. Any violent crime is too much crime. And though we had four homicides in 2014, compared to five in 2013, those numbers are still higher than years 2010 through 2012. There is much work to be done, but we are fortunate to live in a relatively safe place that is heading in a positive direction.