For months, there have been growing concerns in Cape Girardeau about the prevalence of gun violence and gun-related crimes.
On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, a community-wide gun violence task force met for the first time to address this issue and look for solutions.
Pastor Scott Johnson of Soulful Harvest Ministries and Gibson Recovery Center emphasized his commitment to change, “I’m committed to seeing change in our cities instead of pointing fingers and blaming each other."
Mayor Stacy Kinder highlighted the task force's mission.
"The whole purpose of this is to really zero in on what is going on here in Cape and how we might positively impact those things.”, said Mayor Kinder.
Interim Police Chief Adam Glueck shared his outlook, saying, “We’re doing everything we can from the police department’s side, and hopefully we can form relationships with this committee. We have a lot of work to do, but I think there are a lot of motivated people here, and we’re headed in the right direction.”
The task force aims to unite community members and local authorities to address and reduce gun violence effectively.
“There is likely more we can do with our own ordinances and programs,” said Mayor Kinder, “and we’re open to new ideas that will help us support our own departments, and coordinate with the community.”
You can view the City of Cape Girardeau's Gun Violence Task Force mission and information about past and future meetings, on their website.
