COMMUNITY SERVICE POLICING TO KICK OFF

Cape Girardeau Police Chief Howard "Butch" Boyd Jr. hopes community service-oriented policing will help address some of the root causes of crime and drug abuse in the city.

In January, the police department will hire two community-service officers, who will work in high-crime neighborhoods in the city.

Boyd said the special officers will be an essential part of the city's anti-drug efforts.

"The program will be tailored to the community," he said. "The officers' job will entail working in high crimes areas in south Cape and other areas identified by the city's crime profile.

"We want to bring the police department together with other agencies in the community that have programs that have been proven successful."

Boyd said the officers will work with neighborhood watch groups to identify potential criminal activity. They'll also attend neighborhood meetings and work with churches and various youth groups.

"The whole idea is to bring these groups, young people and the police department together with a common goal of reducing drug activity and crime in these areas," the police chief said. "We also want the officers to work with children in a role model capacity."

Perhaps the greatest benefit to residents of high-crime neighborhoods will be in the increased police presence.

The officers, who will be trained by the community relations branch of the U.S. Justice Department, will help crime victims by providing information on agencies and resources available to them.

By patrolling high-crime areas, the officers also will be able to identify areas susceptible to illegal drug trade.

Boyd said vacant lots, overgrown with weeds and littered with debris, and abandoned buildings attract criminals and foster drug trade.

"These officers will have the authority to deal with those issues," he said. "Ultimately, our hope is that through this period the police officers will be on a first-name basis with people in those areas."

The primary goal of the community-service program is to prevent illegal drug activity and other crimes.

Federal funds are available that would pay 75 percent of the officers' salaries, and Boyd said the city should hear sometime this month whether its grant application has been approved.

"Even with no funding, we're going to go ahead with the program," he added. "We've gotten the promise of the council that they'll fund it if we don't get the federal grant."

Eventually, the department hopes to establish a store-front office for the community-service officer to place the department in even more intimate contact with residents.

Boyd said the police department is planning other programs that will involve police officers in community affairs. One of those programs is the brainchild of Patrolman Roger Fields.

Fields has been given the green light to put together a one-day basketball camp for the city's youth.

Fields said he hopes to include coaches and athletes in the session, which will place police officers side-by-side with the children participating in the camp.

"I envision the first half of the day, trying to have local athletes and coaches talk to the kids and set up drills," he said. "Then we would set up a tournament with the youth in the last half of the day.

"The whole idea is to get police officers involved and interact with these kids in a different manner other than arresting their mom or dad," Fields added.

Hopefully, as a result the youth won't see police officers as a threat.

"Most of us got into the police business in the first place to interact with the community," Fields said. "Hopefully when I'm actually out on the street working and I come across youth they'll be more apt to let me approach and mingle with them, instead of them being apprehensive to talk with a police officer."

Boyd said that although such activities aren't what come to most citizens' mind when they think of police efforts against drugs, they're an important part of the overall effort.

"We're going after the drug problem very aggressively, and the community service program officers will be a strong part of that," he said. "It's something that's worked in other communities very well."

Aside from the two community service officers, the city will have four other new officers in January. The additional hires came upon the approval of the city council, as councilman said the additional officers are justified in light of the increase in drugs and other street crimes.