Cape Girardeau police chief Steve Strong was elected Tuesday as chairman of the board of directors for the Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad. He succeeds Doug Richards, director of Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Public Safety. Strong said the major case squad is a valuable asset to law enforcement in Cape Girardeau, and now Bollinger, counties. As chairman, Strong will be involved with reviewing bylaws and personnel, and recommending changes if any are needed. Strong has been chief of police since September 2001; prior to that he was assistant chief for 12 years. He joined the Cape Girardeau Police Department in 1976.

He was born and raised in Cape Girardeau and earned a bachelor of science degree with honors from Southeast Missouri State University in 1972.

He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., and was selected as the "Outstanding Police Chief of the Year" in 2003 by the Missouri Police Chief's Association.