U.S. ATTORNEY OFFICE WILL HELP REGION FIGHT CRIME

Crime fighting in Southeast Missouri will receive a boost from the opening of a U.S. attorney satellite office in Cape Girardeau. The office will bring a greater federal law enforcement presence to Southeast Missouri, to battle such crimes as drug trafficking.

The success of any operation often depends on the people. Two seasoned and highly qualified assistant U.S. attorneys will start out operations on the right foot. Michael Price will serve as chief of the civil division, with Larry Ferrell heading up the criminal division. Both Cape Girardeau attorneys were sworn in during Monday ceremonies.

Ferrell and Price come to the public sector from private practice, but both have backgrounds as prosecutors. Ferrell served two years as assistant Cape Girardeau County prosecutor and four years as prosecuting attorney; Price was an assistant prosecuting attorney in Cape Girardeau County, and served the county juvenile office as its attorney. Both men should serve law enforcement and the region well.

A local office should facilitate both criminal and civil prosecutions in the region. We've already noticed an intensified prosecution of bank fraud in the region through the U.S. attorney's main office in St. Louis. With the opening of the local office, appointment of a standing grand jury will soon follow. It will serve as an investigative body, and should facilitate issuance of federal indictments in the region.

Much of the credit for establishment of this satellite office goes to Steve Higgins. Soon after he took over as the new U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Missouri, he led the renewed effort to open a satellite office here. Commendation also belongs to local attorneys, law enforcement and others. Higgins confirms enthusiastic local support made the difference. Other key endorsements came from Sens. John Danforth and Christopher Bond, and Rep. Bill Emerson.

This office will serve 16 counties in the southeastern division of the Eastern District. Its reach goes as far north as Perry and Madison counties, as far west as Carter and Shannon counties, and as far south as the Arkansas line.

There's little doubt a federal presence is growing in Cape Girardeau. Two weeks ago, Lewis Blanton was sworn in as the first full-time federal magistrate in Cape Girardeau. The performance of the U.S. attorney office may eventually lead to location of a perma~nent federal district judge here.

Price and Ferrell are ready to meet the challenge of building this office from scratch. The job will be tough, but hopefully their presence will make life tougher for criminals throughout Southeast Missouri.