Helping the police

Summer weather brings more outdoor activities -- and more criminal activities as well, according to crime statistics. Property crimes, thefts and drive-offs from self-service gas stations all increase during the summer.

One way to combat crime is for residents to call suspicious activity to the attention of police. At a recent Neighborhood Connections meeting in Cape Girardeau, an officer discussed ways to assist police when calling to report such activity,

Officer Richard Couch suggested that writing down details when you suspect a crime may be in progress or is about to be committed helps provide accurate information for police. It also is useful if this information is needed for court testimony. Details such as what people are wearing, what kind of car they're driving, which direction they were going and so on are all useful in following up on crime reports.

Many residents don't like to get involved when they suspect a crime is being committed, unless they are the victim. But the more the police are told about what neighbors see, the better they can investigate and, when warranted, make arrests.

Police are not expecting citizens to apprehend burglars or confront anyone suspected of committing a crime. Providing information is a good way for residents to take part in keeping their neighborhoods safe and in reducing the summer crime rate.