Oran's law and order

Most residents of Oran, Mo., probably wish their community wasn't receiving so much attention in the news media. Several months ago, the town's longtime police chief retired, and the new police chief's aggressive enforcement has resulted in more tickets -- and a storm of complaints.

Last week, the new chief, Marc Tragesser, received a unanimous vote of confidence from the eight-member city council. The support came after a group of business owners expressed their concerns that what they perceived as heavy-handed enforcement was driving customers away from their businesses.

One big category of citations issued since last July has been alcohol-related offenses. Twenty-one citations have been issued, indicating a problem that every Oran resident should be concerned about. Motorists who drive under the influence of alcohol present a danger to the lives of anyone else who is out and about.

It is likely that, over time, Oran residents and out-of-town visitors will get used to the fact that breaking the law has its consequences. If so, it can be expected that the number of citations will start to decrease. That would be a welcome turn of events to the law-abiding residents of the town who are sensitive to all the publicity Oran has received.