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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022 Annual ReportC A P E G I R A R D E A U P O L I C E D E P A R T M E N T 2022 A n n u a l R e p o r t Chief of Police Wes Blair Assistant Chief of Police Support Services Bureau Adam Glueck Assistant Chief of Police Operations Bureau Rodney Barker Lieutenant Jeff Bonham Patrol Division Commander Lieutenant Joey Hann Patrol Division Commander Lieutenant Darren Estes Auxiliary Services Division Commander Lieutenant Don Perry Criminal Investigation Division Commander Lieutenant Richard Schmidt Operations Support Division Commander Lieutenant Bradley Smith Special Operations Division Commander Administration Table of Contents Chief’s Message 5 Operations Bureau Patrol Division 7 Criminal Investigations 10 Detective Unit Scientific Investigations Unit Professional Standards Unit Major Case Squad Special Operations 13 Community Policing School Resource Officers Traffic Unit Support Services Bureau Personnel 17 Auxiliary Services 20 Communications Unit Operations Support 21 Jail Training & Community Affairs 22 Statistics 23 Accomplishments 25 Final Roll Call 26 Mission The mission of the Cape Girardeau Police Department is to protect life, property, and the rights of persons; to enforce ordinances and laws; and to preserve peace, order, and safety. In the pursuit of our mission, the Cape Girardeau Police Department will establish effective relationships with the community through community partnerships, community involvement, and by nurturing public trust. We will hold ourselves to the highest standards of performance and ethics. We will be constantly aware of the needs of our community and those we serve. We will consider innovative strategies to improve working conditions and policing programs in order to enhance our service. We will continually strive toward community problem solving and accountability. We will, through concerted efforts, improve the overall quality of life in our community. Integrity: We value adherence to the rule of law, to the Constitutions of Missouri and the United States, and to complete honesty. Accountability: We value ethical decision-making and accepting responsibility for our decisions and actions. Community Participation: We value working with Cape Girardeau's communities to ensure the safety and security of our neighborhoods. Quality of Service: We value providing fair, courteous, responsive and efficient service, equally to all people, which observes each individual's dignity and worth. ValuesValues 4 A decrease in Group A Offenses by over 10%. These are the most serious crimes reported annually to the FBI, including homicide, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and other crimes. A decrease in overall crimes by 6%. The implementation of gunshot detection software that has increased our response to gunfire and led to enhanced evidence collection and arrest rates of offenders. The establishment of a mental health co-responder unit, which will help to deescalate and resolve incidents involving individuals in crisis As your police chief, I am pleased to present the 2022 Annual Report for the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Throughout the past year, the officers and civilian staff of your police department have worked diligently to maintain a high level of public safety in our community. We have continued to strengthen our partnerships with community organizations. Additionally, we have implemented several new programs to improve communication and trust between our department and the community we serve. Some notable accomplishments from the past year include: We are proud of our work, but we are not complacent. We are constantly looking for ways to improve and better serve our community. We will continue to work with community organizations and leaders to identify and address public safety concerns, and we will continue to provide the highest level of service. The men and women of the Cape Girardeau Police Department are honored to serve our community and look forward to a successful 2023. Thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, Wes Blair Chief of Police Message from Chief Blair 5 Department Bureaus The Operations Bureau, under the command of Assistant Chief Rodney Barker, is the largest and most visible component of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. The Operations Bureau is comprised of the Patrol Division and a number of specialized units that serve the community as first responder to a myriad of incidents. The men and women assigned to the Operations Bureau take pride in serving our residents, businesses, and visitors through a community-oriented policing approach using the department's mission, visions, and values as guiding principles. The Support Services Bureau, under the command of Assistant Chief Adam Glueck, oversees Department Human Resources, Training, Public Information Services, and Jail Operations. The Support Services Bureau is also responsible for the Communications Unit, which is often a point of first contact with the community in providing emergency and non- emergency services. The Support Services Bureau has been intensely focused on hiring the highest caliber employees for sworn police officers as well as civilian staff. 6 Patrol Division When a citizen or visitor calls the Cape Girardeau Police Department for assistance, the initial responding officer is assigned to the Patrol Division. These officers meet with the reporting person, collect evidence, and make arrests. If a scene or criminal investigation is complex, the patrol officer can request the assistance from a specialized unit for additional investigative resources; however, the initial case is worked by the patrol officer. The Patrol Division, the backbone of the department, is the largest division within the department. The Patrol Division is comprised of the majority of uniformed officers working in the city. There are four patrol platoons, each supervised by a sergeant. The department has four active K9 units, which are each assigned to a platoon. In 2022, there were 42,628 calls for service from the community which resulted in 6,104 cases. The Patrol Division relies on a high standard of professionalism, a strong ongoing training program, and a high level of dedication to duty to accomplish their mission of service. Photo Credit: Southeast Missourian 7 K-9 Unit The Cape Girardeau Police Department K-9 Unit consist of four teams, which includes a handler and a police K-9 on each team. Our K-9's are what we refer to as "multi- purpose" dogs. Our K-9's are certified annually through the Missouri Police Canine Association. Due to recent resignations, K-9 Jango was assigned to Patrolman Whistler in 2022. Due to K-9 Debo having multiple handlers in a relatively short amount of time (due to handler resignations), Debo now works exclusively with our in-house K-9 trainer on call- outs and training exercises. The four K-9s, and their handlers, train weekly with Patrolman Bourbon, our in-house K-9 trainer, to maintain their skills. 2022 K9 Stats K9 Thor K9 Freedom K9 Debo K9 Jango TOTALS Pictured: K-9 Freedom posing with his donated body armor from Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. Vehicle Sniffs 54 36 0 25 115 Drugs Found 30 21 0 9 60 Building/Area Search 10 8 1 3 22 (Narcotics, Suspects, Articles, Area) Tracking 5 3 0 3 11 Public Demonstrations 10 5 1 1 17 Patrol Assists 77 57 0 11 145 (Alarms, Apprehensions, Patrol Assists, SRT Assists) 8 Special Response Team The Special Response Team, commonly known as SWAT, is a group of high-trained tactical officers designed for deployment during critical incidents. These incidents include, but are not limited to, hostage situations, barricaded subjects, high-risk search warrants, high-profile escorts, and crowd control. During 2022, the Special Response Team had five callouts where the team was activated for a scheduled callout. These callouts resulted in five, high-risk arrests. Members of the Special Response Team serve on a voluntary, part-time basis. They train a minimum of 12 hours a month, in addition to the critical-incident operations throughout the year. There are currently 16 special response operators, four Cape Girardeau Fire Department paramedics, and one commander. 9 Criminal Investigations Division The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) is under the command of Lieutenant Don Perry. The division is comprised of ten trained investigators that specialize in a variety of different crimes, such as juveniles, sex offenses, and financial crimes. One detective also specializes in conducting polygraph examinations. The division also includes the Scientific Investigations Unit (SIU). The SIU provides proper handling, storage, maintenance, and disposal of law-enforcement-held property and evidence. The property and evidence room maintians the integrity of evidence for criminal prosecutions, as well as the safe keeping of property for all citizens who come in contact with the department. The CID's primary responsibility is to conduct follow-up investigations of criminal matters referred to them. The detectives are responsible for follow-up on all assigned cases until such time the case can be cleared or satisfactorily closed. Cases can be cleared or closed by arrest, determining no crime was actually committed, or exhausting all investigative leads. The CID provides leadership and expertise to improve the quality of life in our community. The CID works together with the citizens, as well as other divisions, to reduce crime and the fear of crime throughout the city. Photo Credit: Southeast Missourian 10 Professional Standards Unit The Professional Standards Unit (Internal Affairs) investigates allegations of employee misconduct to ensure compliance with the professional standards with the Cape Girardeau Police Department. This unit is attached to the Criminal Investigations Division and is staffed by the Commander of the Criminal Investigations Division. These allegations may include, but are not limited to: * Complaints of Bias or Complaints of Profiling * Excessive Force * Alleged Corruption * Insubordination * Breach of Civil Rights * False Arrest * Other Allegations of Serious Misconduct 2022 Investigations & Findings Professional Standards Investigations: Citizens Complaints: No. of Investigations: 3 No. of Investigations: 1 No. of Employees Investigated: 3 No. of Employees Investigated: 5 Findings of Misconduct: 1 Findings of Misconduct: 0 No. of Unfounded Investigations: 2 No. of Unfounded Investigations: 1 The Cape Girardeau Police Department works diligently to maintain an open environment where our community members can freely tell us when they are pleased or dissatisfied with our performance. When we receive allegations of employee misconduct, we thoroughly investigate the incident to determine the appropriate response. Findings of misconduct result in disciplinary actions that may include, but are not limited to: Written Reprimand, Suspension without Pay, and/or Termination of Employment. 11 Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad Several employees of the Cape Girardeau Police Department serve on the Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad (MCS) in addition to their positions within the department. Since its inception in 1983, the Major Case Squad, made up of officers and detectives from six law enforcement agencies has worked a total of 76 cases. Lieutenant Don Perry has served as the Major Case Squad Commander since 2019. 2022 Activations February 8, 2022: Officers responded to the area of College and Frederick for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located the 40-year-old victim, Vincent Twiggs, deceased. The Major Case Squad established and investigated multiple leads surrounding this incident and disbanded on February 10, 2022. The Cape Girardeau Police Department is still actively investigating this crime. June 30, 2022: The Major Case Squad convened at the Cape Girardeau Police Department to investigate a report of an alleged missing person from Bollinger County. Information provided to the Bollinger County Sheriff's Office was that the alleged victim was last seen by family on the morning of June 30, 2022 before she left for work. The victim did not show up to work. Family nor law enforcement was able to make contact with her. Throughout the course of the investigation, investigators were able to locate the alleged victim and determined she was safe. At the time she was located, her boyfriend was taken into custody due to an active warrant for his arrest in reference to a separate investigation. October 15, 2022: Officers responded to the area of Bellevue and Fountain Street in reference to a homicide. Nathan Hinojosa, Jr., a 22-year-old from Cape Girardeau died from gunshot wounds sustained. Throughout the course of the investigation, the Major Case Squad identified a suspect, identified as Izaiah James Turner, an 18-year-old resident of Cape Girardeau County. Turner was arrested by the Major Case Squad on October 16th without incident. The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged Turner with Murder in the 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action. His bond was set at $2.5M cash only. Following the arrest and ensuing investigations, the Major Case Squad disbanded on October 17, 2022. 12 Community-policing initiatives have been developed nationwide by local governments in an effort to help improve the quality of life. Community policing is a philosophy in which the community and law enforcement collectively decide what local and neighborhood problems are and what resources can be used to address them. Corporal Couch is assigned to the Community Service Unit. He works primarily with neighborhood residents and groups, serving as a link between them, the police department, service agencies, and the local government to help recognize crime trends and eliminate the source of crime in the community. Community Service Unit In 2017, the department formed a Crime Analyst position. This position is responsible for the analysis and dissemination of crime activity data and the collection and maintenance of crime intelligent information for the City of Cape Girardeau. The information provided contribute to officer safety and crime reduction efforts. The crime analyst is also responsible for responding to requests for crime data from departmental staff. Data exported is used by officers for more effective, efficient policing, and by administration for improved staffing decisions. This position is currently staffed by Patrolman Bobby Bollinger. Patrolman Bollinger serves the Cape Girardeau Police Department on a part-time basis. 13 Five officers have been budgeted to be assigned to the Cape Girardeau Public School District. The School Resource Officers provide a forum through which students, parents, faculty, and law enforcement officers can become better acquainted and, as a result, continue mutual respect for one another. These officers are involved in activities such as conducting classroom presentations, coordination of group discussions with students in the area of mutual concern, patrolling school premises and surrounding areas to reduce loitering and prevent criminal activity, as well as stimulate student involvement in crime- prevention programs. Due to the department facing ongoing staffing shortages in 2022, discussions were held between administration personnel from the Cape Girardeau Police Department and the Cape Girardeau Public School District. Realizing the importance of having uniformed officers in the school district, it was agreed by both establishments that the Cape Girardeau Public School District would hire, and fully fund, their School Resource Officers. In November 2022, Corporal Wyatt and Patrolman T. Angle became full-time employees of the school district. The four SROs hold their officer commissions through the City of Cape Girardeau and are considered Reserve Officers for the department. 2022 School Resource Officers Officer Wyatt: Career & Technology Center, Clippard Elementary, and Alma Schrader Elementary Officer T. Angle: Central Junior High School and Blanchard Elementary Officer Scroggins: Cape Central High School and Jefferson Elementary Officer Atlas: Central Academy and Franklin Elementary School Resource Officers / Airport Security Since 2002, the Cape Girardeau Police Department has been in contract with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to provide security at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. Officers are assigned to provide security for screening passengers and luggage for daily flights to Nashville from Cape Girardeau. During 2022, officers provided airport security for 8,012 flights. 14 The Nuisance Abatement Unit is comprised of a full-time supervisor and is currently budgeted for two full-time civilian abatement officers, and one part-time civilian abatement officer. Due to a transfer and a resignation within the Unit, they have been operating with only two full-time employees; the supervisor and one civilian abatement officer since October 2022. The Unit is responsible for the many aspects of the unit, which includes illegal parking, inoperable/nuisance vehicles on public or private property, domestic animal complaints, and wildlife complaints. In 2021, restructuring of duties occurred between the department's Nuisance Abatement Unit and the City of Cape Girardeau's Inspections Services Division. Property violations previously handled by Nuisance Abatement (trash, litter, weeds/grass, etc.) are now enforced by the city's Inspections Division. However, moving these functions back to the Police Department was discussed in 2022, and it is expected that these duties will return to the Police Department in mid-2023. Nuisance Abatement Unit 15 The Traffic Unit is one of the most visible units with whom the motoring public has contact. This unit is tasked with ensuring the safety of the residents and visitors that utilize the network of roadways, walkways, and bikeways within the city. Goals include ensuring the expeditious flow of traffic and compliance with local, state, and federal laws. This is accomplished by utilizing several different approaches, including a combination of public education and enforcement efforts. The Traffic Unit also assists in the coordination of "Click It or Ticket" campaigns, DWI enforcement, Hazardous Moving Violations (HMV) Reduction, as well as special events including parades and 5Ks. Due to staffing shortages in the Patrol Division, the four traffic officers have been assigned to the Patrol Division since September 2021. Traffic Unit Photo Credit: Mr. Aaron Palmer - Special to the Southeast Missourian 16 Our Personnel The most important asset of the Cape Girardeau Police Department is our staff. Our department is filled with talented and experienced individuals who hold many advanced certifications and degrees. Currently, 34% of our officers hold a Bachelor's or Master's Degree. With an average of 10 years of service, their diversity and experience provides a balance of appropriate performance and preparation for the future. The Cape Girardeau Police Department prides itself in having competent, capable, and relentless members. Many police departments throughout the nation experienced a shortage in staffing during 2022, and we were no exception. To effectively attract, recruit, and hire applicants for the position of police officer, the department started sponsoring recruits through a police academy. In 2022, the department sponsored a total of five cadets, all of who graduated from the SEMO Law Enforcement Academy and are now assigned to our patrol division. The police department's command staff is committed to continuously seeking operationally and fiscally responsible solutions to provide the exceptional services our community has come to expect from their police department. 17 Our Personnel New Hires Patrolman Bob Gowen, January 3 Jailer Tonya Granado, August 29 Patrolman Ryan Greenwalt, April 18 PT Jail Control Room Operator Victoria Liebsch, August 29 Patrolman Joel Koesterer, April 18 Patrolman William Sammut, September 26 Safe Communities Coordinator Emily Church, May 2 Patrolman Hunter Juden, September 26 PT Jail Control Operator Kaitlyn Zajiceck, May 23 Patrolman Madison Kirn, October 17 Patrolman Jonathan Studyvin, June 13 External Cadet James Conner, October 24 PT Jailer Hunter Ritter, July 21 PT Patrolman/SRO Tora Angle, November 30 Patrolman Casey Burr, August 8 Reserve Officer/SRO Mark Wyatt, November 30 Communicator Mary Carter, August 22 Reserve Officer/SRO Lawrence Atlas, December 16 Jailer Eric Thiele, August 22 Reserve Officer/SRO Matthew Scroggins, December 16 Patrolman James Skinner, August 22 Patrolman Desho'n Pernell, December 19 Patrolman Robert Newton, August 22 Communicator Sarah Dixon-Behar, December 19 Patrolman Christopher Newton, August 22 Promotions Lieutenant Joey Hann, February 5 (transferred from Training & Community Affairs Division to Patrol Division) Sergeant Darrin Sides, February 5 (transferred from Detective Division to Patrol Division, D Platoon) Sergeant Jacob Scheper, February 5 (Patrol Division, C Platoon) Corporal Jacob Marberry, February 5 (Detective Division, Scientific Investigations Unit) Corporal Will Rogers, December 17 (Patrol Division) Retirements Detective Patrolman Douglas Hays began employment with us on December 17, 2011 as a Patrol Officer assigned to our Patrol Division. He served in this capacity until his transfer to the Detective Division on December 1, 2014. He remained in the Detective Division until his retirement on July 7, 2022. Detective Hays served as a crimes against children investigator for several years before he was appointed as investigator of Zone 2 major crimes. He was a member of the Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad since 2014. 18 Employee of the Year Lead Communicator Josh McKinney was named the Cape Girardeau Police Department's 2022 Employee of the Year. Josh was hired as a Communications Officer in 2018. In 2019, he was promoted to Lead Communicator and oversees/supervises Communicators on his shift. He also serves as the training coordinator for the Communications Unit, recently revamping the entire training process and assists in the training of all new Communicators hired to dispatch for the Cape Girardeau Police and Cape Girardeau Fire Department. In addition, he handles the scheduling of the Communications Unit and ensures all shifts are covered to provide adequate staffing, 24/7/365; often times, picking up several extra shifts himself to meet minimum staffing requirements. To show not only his dedication to the City of Cape Girardeau but his willingness to go above and beyond in his profession, on March 17, 2022, Josh clocked out of Communications after working a 12-hour night shift and headed home, south of Cape Girardeau. A major crash had occurred on I-57 near Charleston involving approximately 50 vehicles, resulting in five fatalities. Josh responded directly to the Mississippi County’s Dispatch Center and offered assistance. He remained there, dispatching for multiple first responder agencies, throughout the entirety of the incident. This type of action is not uncommon for Josh; it is simply who he is as a person and we are fortunate to have him part of our staff here at CGPD. Despite the overwhelming amount of work the Communications Unit has had due to ongoing staffing shortages in 2022, Josh always finds way to assist. This willingness to assist others and his commitment to the police department has not gone unnoticed. We are fortunate to have him as part of our CGPD family, and his dedication to his duty is reflected through the quality of service he provides to the City of Cape Girardeau. 19 Communications Unit The Cape Girardeau Public Safety Communications Unit is the nerve center and lifeline of the department. The Communications Unit handles both emergency and non-emergency calls for service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and plays a pivotal rolein the department's efforts to meet increasing demands for police services. As the first point of contact, personnel answer emergency (911) and non-emergency calls and ensures resources are dispatched rapidly and efficiently. Text 911 came to the Cape Girardeau Public Safety Communications Unit in 2021, and in2022, we continued to introduce new technology to better assist our citizens. "PreparedLive" allows our 911 operators to view pictures and videos from incidents in real time, as well as gather real-time GPS locations. When a citizen calls 911, the operator is able to text a web link and if the caller followsthe link to allow the sharing of information, their phone will send live video and GPS location to the 911 center. This allows the 911 operator to know exactly where the person is located and give the first responders better information while they are ontheir way to help. Once the caller ends the connection, the 911 center no longer hasaccess to the phone. It is our hope that this new technology will continue to enhance our response to emergency situations. Communications Staffing The Communications Unit is budgeted to staff 15 trained full-time Public SafetyCommunicators and a civilian Communications Manager. As with other Units within thedepartment, the Communications Unit continued to operate through 2022 with staffing shortages. Communications staff, along with police and fire staff worked extra shifts in the Communications Unit throughout 2022 to meet minimum staffing requirements andto ensure the safety of the citizens of Cape Girardeau, and our on-duty first responders. 20 Jail Unit The municipal jail houses a 20 bed, direct-supervision jail. The jail facility has three pods to house inmates, with a fourth pod available for future growth. Our jail facility isdesigned to properly separate court offices, prisoners, the public and employees. With aco-located court and jail, transporting municipal prisoners to and from City Hall throughout the week for court appearances is no longer necessary. The Jail Unit continued to face extreme staffing shortages in 2022. If sentenced by theCape Girardeau Municipal Court, inmates serving a prolonged municipal sentence continue to be transported to the Perry County Sheriff's Office to ensure the safety of our current Jail staff. Even with continued staffing shortages, the professionalism of the correctional staff assigned to this Unit are critical to maintaining a safe jail facility for our inmates and our employees. Admitted (2022): Males: 946 Females: 548 Not Specified: 26 2022 Total: 1,520 21 Training & Community Affairs Active ShooterDefensive Tactics Reality-Based Scenarios Cultural DiversityUse of ForceDomestic Violence The Training and Community Services Unit is responsible for the department's training unit, media relations, and crime prevention. Training Unit The Training Unit is the first spot new officers will experience as they embark on their career.It's also a place that offers continued employee development throughout the year. The Training Unit is committed to providing the most updated training curriculum for employees and other law enforcement agencies who may attend courses at our facility. TheTraining Unit ensures that all commissioned officers complete their state-mandated POSTprogram training hours during each year's reporting period. Officer training includes, but is not limited to: Media Relations The Cape Girardeau Police Department fosters cooperation and mutual respect between the department and news media. In 2022, Corporal Ryan Droege and Patrolman Rich McCall were assigned as media liaisons.Both are highly-trained individuals who understand the importance of using the media as a valuable resource to keep the public informed of the department's activities. In this regard, they realize their role is to assist members of the media in completing the task of gatheringinformation and reporting on news events impacting residents and visitors to the City of CapeGirardeau. The public's perception and image of the department is largely dependent on the hard work of these officers. Safe Communities Program The goal of the Cape Girardeau Safe Communities Program is to provide injury prevention strategies, primarily in the areas of traffic safety to the citizens of Cape Girardeau County. The Safe Communities initiative is working to expand partnerships in the community to access local injury data. Through this information, areas of concern are determined and new effective strategies for injury prevention are developed. The program has two full-time coordinators anda 19 member Advisory Committee. Grants through the Missouri Department of Transportation-Division of Highway Safety provide funding for this program. Safe Communities coordinates multi-jurisdictional law enforcement efforts throughout CapeGirardeau County. 22 Statistics & Crime Analysis The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) is a national data collection system used by law enforcement agencies to report crimes. Group A offenses are the most serious offenses reported under NIBRS and include homicide, sexual assault, robbery, assault, and other crimes. These offenses are typically the most violent and have the most significant impact on the community. They are also the most likely to be solved by law enforcement agencies, and are therefore considered the most important for tracking crime trends. NIBRS Group A Offenses 23 Statistics & Crime Analysis In 2020, the FBI changed the way police departments were required to track and submit crime data from the UCR (Uniform Crime Report) to NIBRS (National Incident-Based Reporting System) beginning January 1, 2021. To meet this requirement, the Cape Girardeau Police Department had to switch its CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) systems from Global Software to Central Square (Zuerchers) due to Global Software being incapable of tracking NIBRS data. NIBRS is a more robust system and has capabilities of tracking crime data that the UCR lacked. NIBRS tracks 52 specific crimes including date, time of day, location, multiple criminal acts committed within the same incident, and much more, plus 10 offenses with little detail and 20 additional crimes where arrests only were reported. 24 Accomplishments ShotSpotter Gunfire Detection Software ShotSpotter was introduced to the department in April of 2022 and quickly proved its effectiveness. In the first three months of implementation, more arrests from shots-fired calls were made when compared to 2021 with at least two of those arrests being credited to the new technology. ShotSpotter detects the precise location of gunshots. Acoustic sensors are placed strategically in an area of the city. When these sensors are triggered, the system uses artificial intelligence and triangulation to determine the precise location. The data is relayed to the ShotSpotter Incident Review Center where analysts quickly audit the data and publish confirmed gunshots to our department. An alert is then sent to our 911 center and patrol officers’ smartphones and MDTs for immediate response. The entire process takes less than 60 seconds. With the successful launch and implementation of the system in 2022, the city looks to expand SpotShotter to cover other areas in Cape Girardeau in the near future. Peer Support Program For many, the difference between a career and a job, the family that is left behind, the demand placed on individual success, and other personal and/or work-related issues can be a lot to handle. The Cape Girardeau Police Department recognizes the importance of providing its sworn and civilian employees the opportunity to receive emotional and tangible support through time of personal or professional crisis, and in 2022, we implemented the “Peer Support Program.” Members of the “Peer Support Team” have received formal training in listening skills and are able to recognize, help prevent, and understand the effects of stress. They are also trained to recognize and refer cases that require professional intervention or are beyond their scope of training to a licensed mental health professional. It is our belief that the “Peer Support Team” will continue to be effective throughout the upcoming years by knowing our personnel, watching for and seeing changes in behavior, keeping confidentiality and doing regular check-ins. By knowing what’s going on with personnel on a regular and ongoing basis, the “Peer Support Team” will more quickly be able to recognize when a coworker is in distress or in need of resources and support. Mental Health Co-Responder Program In 2022, plans were underway to bring a new Co-Responder Program to the department in partnership with the Community Counseling Center. The goal of this Program would be to bring quick mental health assistance to those experiencing a crisis. The Program will allow a trained mental health professional to join officers in responding to mental health calls. The co-responder will be responsible for ensuring those individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis the opportunity to access recommended behavioral health treatment, community resources and assist in the process as needed. This position would be imbedded within the Cape Girardeau Police Department, however, the co-responder would be a full-time employee of the Community Counseling Center. 25 "Heroes Live Forever"Roll Call Ptlm. Albert Demortiers EOW: 10.27.1917 Ptlm. Willis A. Martin EOW: 02.27.1921 Chief Nathaniel J. Hutson EOW: 10.07.1922 Auxiliary Officer Herbert L. Goss EOW: 03.10.1961 Ptlm. Donald Crittendon EOW: 03.21.1961 26 The 2022 Annual Report is produced by the Office of the Chief of Police Cape Girardeau Missouri Police Department Compiled By Sara Stensland, CAP Administrative Coordinator Statistics Patrolman Bobby Bollinger Council-Manager Government Mayor Mrs. Stacy Kinder City Manager Dr. Kenneth Haskin Council Members Ward 1 Mr. Dan Presson Ward 2 Ms. Tameka Randle Ward 3 Mr. Nate Thomas Ward 4 Mr. Robbie Guard Ward 5 Ms. Shannon Truxel Ward 6 Mr. Mark Bliss Cape Girardeau Police Department 2530 Maria Louise Lane, Cape Girardeau 63701