Five new officers join the Cape Girardeau Police Department Monday, the first step in a plan to bring more police presence to the community.

Police Chief Howard H. Boyd Jr. said he believes citizens will notice a marked difference by early spring.

New officers are Samuel L. Keeley, 23, Richard D. Pipkin, 22, Erik C. Lawrenz, 21, Bridget D. Huff, 26, all of Cape Girardeau; and Joseph Tado, 31, of St. Louis.

Boyd said all the new officers are graduates of the Southeast Missouri State University Law Enforcement Academy and four of the five have bachelor's degrees in criminal justice from Southeast Missouri State.

They will be sworn in Monday at City Hall. Then the new officers begin five weeks of classroom training. Following that training, they will be assigned to a field training officer for three months, Boyd explained.

"As soon as we get these officers where they can stand on their own two feet, hopefully by early spring, we will proceed with the plan for community service officers," Boyd said.

The plan calls for two patrolmen to be assigned to community service on the city's south side.

Boyd said: "They will do all sorts of new neighborhood things -- working with church groups, civic organizations and citizens. We are looking for more face-to-face police work."

The community service officers have not been named.

"I believe this is the most officers we've ever had," Boyd said.

Boyd said most police departments in the United States employ 10 to 15 people. "When you get into a department our size, it is considered a medium size department. Generally, departments jump from our size to 150 or 200 officers, and then on up."

With the growth in the department, Boyd said, some reorganization is also under way. Randy Roddy, formerly a patrol commander, has been promoted to a new administrative position supervising personnel, communications and records.

His position as patrol commander will be filled, most likely by a department sergeant, and then someone will likely be promoted to fill the sergeant's slot, Boyd said.

"That's good news for our officers because there is very little movement among the upper ranks," said the chief.

"I think people will notice a difference, especially when we get these community service officers on the street," Boyd said.

"There has been a lot going on around here the last few months," he said.