CRIME SQUAD INTENSIFIES SECURITY FOR THE REGION

The Major Case Squad of Cape Girardeau and Bollinger County has compiled some pretty impressive numbers in its eight-year existence. The squad's success underscores the importance of inter-agency cooperation in solving crimes.

Of the five homicides the squad has investigated, four have ended in convictions. Prosecution of a fifth case is pending.

The squad was formed in 1983, using a St. Louis model. The Cape Girardeau County squad expanded to Bollinger County in 1986.

The local squad was actually on the cutting edge of such agencies in Missouri. At the time of its formation, the local squad was one of only a handful in the state. Since then, the success of these programs has spurred their proliferation across the state.

The beauty of the major case squad is that any officer acting under the squad's authority can exercise his jurisdiction throughout the entire state. That provides a broader scope of opportunities for investigations.

Twenty officers make up the local squad, which is overseen by a board of directors. Board members represent the Cape Girardeau Police Department, Cape County Sheriff's Department, Jackson Police Department, Bollinger County Sheriff's Department, Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Public Safety, and the Missouri Highway Patrol.

At the heart of its success is the fact squad members pool their resources and expertise. An indirect benefit is promotes a closer working relationship among the various agencies.

So far, the major case squad has concentrated its efforts on homicides. According to its bylaws, it could be used to investigate crimes of aggravated assault, robbery, rape, burglary and "others of a magnitude constituting a county threat."

It's probably been wise to limit the squad's participation to homicides at this point. That's because the individual law enforcement agencies have been able to handle these other crimes on their own. If a string of these "lesser" crimes occurs, perhaps the major case squad will be called to action. The squad's current strategy seems to have worked well.

The region is fortunate to have well-trained and qualified law enforcement agencies and officers. The major case squad continues to underscore that level of quality, and to focus those resources into a single unit with real punch when the need arrives. That kind of success can only enhance a feeling of security for the region.