TRAGEDY SHOWED A NEED FOR GUARDIANS GROUP

Tragedy in a local motel brought together 12 Cape Girardeau businessmen who saw an unmet need and did something about it in an effort to show their appreciation for law enforcement in the county.

The businessmen each pledged $1,000 to establish the Guardians, an organization which would help meet financial needs of the families of Cape Girardeau County law-enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

They are soliciting participation by others in their effort to build up a fund that could be used for that purpose if needed.

The effort was sparked by auto dealer Bob Neff following a February shoot-out in the motel that injured two city policemen and resulted in the death of a drug dealer.

Guardians is patterned after Backstoppers, a St. Louis group that has raised millions of dollars for families since 1959.

Their generous gesture deserves the community support that can make the same thing happen in Cape Girardeau County.