Leslie Washington, with 'Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense' and 'Everytown For Gun Safety' spoke with KRCU Public Radio shortly after gun violence was reported in the early morning hours in the downtown Cape Girardeau area on a busy weekend around Sept. 22 - 23rd, 2023.
She discussed the frequent issue of solving gun crimes, especially in domestic violence cases, as well as witnesses willing to talk to and cooperate with police. Washington stated that victims often fear retaliation from those in the community for reporting other individuals who may have been responsible.
To overcome a few of these barriers and to better solve these crimes, the Cape Girardeau Police Department has enacted the use of the company and its software and technology, ShotSpotter, which is now known as SoundThinking.
The Cape Girardeau Police Department has also opened a portal on its website for anonymous tips for crimes and information that may be used to help solve these crimes.
The interview was recorded in late September and references recent events, but talks about the ongoing concerns about gun crime in the region and Missouri.
We also talked about Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is in October, and the frequent link between gun crimes and domestic violence, and how to prevent these conflicts by discussing these concerns with the city government.
