Getting involved

Complaints about drug deals in plain view on some Cape Girardeau streets are fairly common, based on comments in Speak Out and calls to the police department.

Many of those complaints question why there aren't more arrests. The biggest reason is because police need the kind of evidence that a prosecutor can use in bringing charges that will lead to convictions.

As the result of a monthlong investigation regarding numerous complaints about drug deals on Jefferson Avenue, police made six arrests last week. Because there was evidence that some of the suspects were also involved in making crack as well as selling drugs, charges with potentially longer prison terms were filed.

This is an instance where the vigilance of law-abiding neighbors paid off. By getting good information, the police were able to piece together a case leading to arrests. The SEMO Drug Task Force, which has been an important component in anti-drug efforts in recent years, also participated in the investigation.

One factor cited by police was information received from Neighborhood Watch groups. Neighborhood Watch is a cooperative effort to inform residents and enlist their assistance when there are signs of illegal activity. By being alert to unusual conduct or an increase in traffic to a particular address and reporting that information, police are made aware of problem areas that need special attention.

Neighborhood vigilance is an effective tool in combating the criminal element of a community. And if individuals who take the time to send comments to Speak Out aren't also fulfilling their civic responsibility by contacting the police department, they should be.

As long as residents consider drugs and other lawless activities to be "someone else's problem," those activities will continue to be everyone's problem. The neighbors in the Jefferson Avenue area are to be commended for getting involved.