MARSHALED: DELTA SEEKS LAW ENFORCEMENT

DELTA -- How can a small town afford law enforcement?

That's the question faced by officials in this small, southwestern Cape Girardeau County town as they consider hiring a part-time town marshal.

Currently, Delta, with a population of about 500, has no local law enforcement. The town has experienced burglaries and vandalism, as well as "hot rodding."

City officials say they would like to hire a full-time marshal, but can't afford it on the town's limited budget.

"It would be nice to have a full-time one, but that is just out of the question for a small town," said Mayor Paul Evans.

City officials said it would cost $35,000 to $40,000 a year for a full-time marshal and the expenses, such as insurance, that would go with it.

With an annual budget of around $120,000, Delta can't afford such an expense, they said. The town has a 61-cent property tax levy.

City officials also said the town must keep some of its budget in reserve for emergencies and because the town's water and sewer systems need upgrading.

Alderman Woody Rooker said that the community has been plagued by youths driving carelessly and at high speeds on Highway 25, the main street through Delta, and on side streets.

Rooker said the drivers are generally in their teens or early 20s, and the incidents basically occur between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m., primarily on weekends.

"At times, it is almost unsafe to walk on the streets," said Rooker.

But Evans said he believes crimes such as vandalism and burglary are a more serious concern. "We don't want people's homes broken into."

Evans said Delta was hit with a rash of burglaries and vandalism incidents last year.

Delta used to have a part-time town marshal. But Cape Girardeau County Sheriff Norman Copeland said the community hasn't had a marshal for five years.

The town still has a police car, although it hasn't been used for years. The car, which is kept in a fenced in area next to the water tower, was vandalized within the last several months.

"The city is in the process of trying to get it fixed," said Rooker.

Right now, the only law enforcement in Delta is provided by the County Sheriff's Department, he said.

Rooker said that many Delta residents feel the sheriff's department, headquartered in Jackson, has often been unresponsive to their calls about "hot rodding" and other incidents.

"It's just as if we don't exist," he said. "The only time they want to come down there is if someone is hurt in a bar."

But Copeland said sheriff's deputies respond to numerous calls in Delta. The sheriff estimated that deputies often respond to as many as two calls a night to the Cape County town. He added that his officers have made numerous arrests for crimes, such as vandalism and burglary.

He said, however, that they don't respond to complaints of "hot rodding" because that's a traffic problem. "We're not traffic oriented."

Copeland said that Delta officials several years ago wanted him to station a deputy in the town. But, Copeland said his department, with only eight road deputies, doesn't have the manpower or the funding to commit officers to patrolling city streets.

"We do not have the manpower to police the city of Delta or the city of Oak Ridge, or anywhere else," said Copeland.

As an incorporated town, it's up to Delta to provide local law enforcement, he maintained. "It is their responsibility to tax themselves to fund the hiring of a police officer."

Rooker said, "We definitely need some sort of local law enforcement that we can get hold of and have on the scene within 15 to 20 minutes."

The alderman said he would like to see greater cooperation between the city and the sheriff's department, even if a town marshal is hired. "It's going to take cooperation all the way around."

City officials said that they would like to hire a part-time marshal. The only question, they said, is whether the town can afford it.

"There's been a couple of people who have applied," said Rooker. One of the applicants is an Advance police officer.

The marshal issue is expected to be discussed at the next meeting of the Delta Board of Aldermen on April 15.

"I would love to be able to make a decision on it at the next meeting," said Rooker, "but realistically we're probably looking at 35 to 40 days to iron everything out."