Sikeston's effort deserves broad support

P In a little over a year, Sikeston officials have pinpointed a variety of crucial problems and have enlisted city resources, other government agencies and entire neighborhoods to promote a positive future.

Sure, every city has its problems: the blighted neighborhood that gives police fits, the dilapidated house no one will fix up or tear down, the lingering prejudice that keeps citizens from embracing each other and moving forward.

But not every city has the guts to put it all out on the table. And not every city wants to invest the effort it takes to change.

Sikeston is different that way.

It was certainly unusual last year when the entire Sikeston City Council signed a 148-column-inch letter -- published in the town's daily newspaper, the Standard Democrat -- that outlined one neighborhood's problems, demanded that drug dealers leave town and warned what would be done to make a change.

It was unusual because local politicians tend to be better known for painting happy faces on their towns no matter what's really going on.

But everybody knew what was going on in Sikeston last year. Bodies of West End residents were turning up in odd places. Police were being pelted with rocks and bottles when they tried to do their jobs. Entire families were making their livelihoods from the sale of crack cocaine.

So Sikeston's leaders launched a two-pronged attack. First, they passed tough new property-maintenance and noise ordinances to force a sense of respect on the West End. Second, they appointed a longtime, well-thought-of member of the Department of Public Safety to be chief, and he changed the way police business was done.

In addition to hiring more officers to clean up the streets, Chief Drew Juden met with West End community leaders to assure them the old attitudes were gone: Crime isn't OK as long as it's kept in a certain neighborhood. He has worked with other law enforcement, including federal prosecutors who have convicted 40 defendants since 1995 for drug and violent crimes on the West End.

Meanwhile, another group organized and began promoting the idea of ward government -- a council member from every section of town. The group pushed the council to put the matter of becoming a charter city on the ballot. A 13-member commission has been meeting to rewrite the city's structure -- and, thus, its future. Voters will decide in April whether it is the right one.

Under the charter, four councilmen would be elected from wards while two others and a mayor would be elected at large. The idea is to make all Sikeston residents confident that their voices are being heard on the council.

But the changes aren't just coming from Sikeston's power structure. There are efforts in the neighborhoods too.

Three Sikeston churches -- the black Prince of Peace Church and the white First Christian and Trinity Baptist churches are taking turns meeting at each others' places of worship. The Rev. Tom Geers, Trinity's pastor, calls it "the way it ought to be." So true.

And some pastors on the West End have identified another problem: The neighborhood's ministers don't always take the lead expected from them by their parishioners, many of whom see the churches as the center of their community. These forward-thinking pastors want to join together and become advocates for the entire community, not just their individual churches.

Eight Southeast Missourian journalists spent much of the last four months talking to Sikeston residents for a three-part series that ended Tuesday. It would be ridiculous to say three days of articles explained every nuance of the community dynamic.

However, the stories showcased a city that wants to make great strides forward, get past the forces that divide and become whole again.

That effort deserves -- even demands -- everyone's support.