IT'S TIME CITY CONSIDERS INCREASING POLICE FORCE

Cape Girardeau police, with the help of the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, last year declared war on crack-cocaine trafficking. They arrested more than two dozen people in a massive undercover investigation that centered on drug dealing in the 400 block of Good Hope. Those arrests brought the total number of drug arrests in the city last year to 156, 59 more than the 97 that were made in 1991.

Also last year, police made a total of 4,484 total arrests, 731 more than were made in 1991. At the same time, the department handled more than 31,081 incidents, 3,741 more than were handled in 1991.

Statistics provided by the department on numbers of police arrests and incidents handled show both have significantly increased since 1987. That year, police made 3,122 total arrests while handling 19,803 incidents.

The growing workload has been handled by a police staff that primarily has remained unchanged over that six-year period: 59 officers and 10 detectives. While the detective division's investigations have remained relatively constant 2,000 each year since 1988 the number of offenses cleared by the division has dropped steadily since: from about 1,200 in 1988 to 523 last year.

The numbers serve to support Police Chief Howard Boyd Jr.'s belief that the decline in cleared offenses by detectives indicates a need for more detectives. The chief wants to hire two more patrolmen and move two seasoned officers into the detective division. For a start, he has requested funding for two more officers in next year's budget, and has said he will seek more street officers in subsequent budgets.

When illicit drug use spreads through a community, so do drug-related crimes by those who will do anything to support their habit. Rising numbers of crime incidents and arrests show that scenario has been a real one in the city, despite the police department's best efforts at keeping crime in check.

An adequately staffed police department is a basic element of crime fighting. A police department of sufficient manpower is a necessary investment in a community; it guards against growing crime.

The statistics show it is time that Cape Girardeau invest a bit more in department manpower to further help keep crime in check in the city.