Police Department
July 26-August 1
**** PLEASE NOTE POLICE INFORMATION IS REPORTED RETROACTIVELY INCLUDING INCIDENTS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS, and CALLS FOR SERVICE INFORMATION. ****
- Calls For Service: 517
- Nuisance: 96
- Traffic Stops: 157
- Citations: 80
- Arrests: 46
- Shots Fired Cases: 1
Community Engagement
- 7/29 – Neighborhood Roll Call at Jewel and Camelia.
Public Works
August 3-7
- Streets crew is working on street repair on Riverside- mowing and trimming trees and limbs.
- The Stormwater crew is mowing City detention basins and completing nuisance abatements.
- The Waste Water Treatment Plant crew is making repairs to the biosolids dryer.
Fire Department
July 13-23
Operational Highlights
- Special Olympics standby
- 7 Inspections
- 2 Station Tours
- 3 Personnel attended a Hazmat Technician Course in Farmington
- University of MO Mobile EMS Training (Pediatric Emergencies)
- Fire Explorers Meeting
- Submitted 5 RHSOC Grants
- Funeral Visitation and service for Deputy Chief Greg Hecht (ret.)
- Leadership Cape
- Monthly HSRT training over swift water rescue operations
Calls for Service: - Hazardous Situations: 11
- Medical Calls: 75
- Public Service Calls: 50
- Rescue Calls: 39
- Non-Emergency Responses: 32
- Fires: 7 ( 3 structure fires)
August 3-August 7
- Community Bingo will be held Friday, August 7, at the Osage Centre, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
- Capaha Field will host Game 2 of the Prospect League Championship Series between the Cape Catfish and the Terre Haute Rex. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m.
- The Osage Centre will host a Sports Card Show on Saturday, August 8, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Doggy Swim Day will be held at Cape Splash on Saturday, August 22. Various time slots will be available for dogs to attend.
- Youth Cross Country Club will begin August 24. Registration is currently open.
- The Cape Jaycee Municipal Golf Course will host the One-Person Mulligan Golf Event on Saturday, August 8, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start.
- The Sportsplex will host the Reebok Cape Finale Basketball Tournament on Saturday, August 8, and Sunday, August 9.
- Cape Splash’s last day of operation for the summer season will be Sunday, August 16.
- Registration is underway for fall sports, including Youth Soccer, NFL Flag Football, the Fall Youth Volleyball League, and the Adult Softball League.
Impactful Projects:
- Work continues on Phase 2 of the Shawnee Park Sports Complex project. Phase 2 includes the construction of football and soccer fields on the north side of Shawnee Parkway. Contractors are currently installing irrigation systems for the two fields. Once the irrigation systems are installed, crews will begin installing sod. The lighting portion of the project is complete, and scoreboard support posts have been erected.
- Officials from the City of Cape Girardeau, MoDOT, and Delta Concrete completed a walkthrough of the Cape LaCroix Recreation Trail improvement project on Thursday, August 6. A few items must be completed before the trail can open to ensure safety and erosion control. Additional information will be released once a reopening date has been confirmed. The south end of the trail will remain closed during the final phase of construction.
- Parks Maintenance staff continues to make improvements to the north end of the Cape LaCroix Trail under the Lexington Street bridge. The project includes removing accumulated silt and mud from the edges of the trail to improve water drainage after rain events.
- Planning continues for the replacement of the cart shed at the Jaycee Golf Course. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2026.
- Plans are underway for the construction of an 18-hole disc golf course at Kiwanis Park. The project will be a joint venture among Parks and Recreation, the Cape Girardeau Kiwanis Club, and the SEMO Disc Golf Club.
Development Services
GIS Storymap
While the ArcGIS Story Map highlights many notable projects, it is not a comprehensive list and will continue to be updated over time.
- 7 Brew – 17 S. Kingshighway
Grand Opening – Aug. 8 - Freddy’s Frozen Custard -coming soon (located at Previous Steak and Shake Location)
- West Park Mall Updates: Boot Barn coming soon
City of Cape Girardeau Development & Improvement Projects -
West Cape Rock Drive Sidewalk Project — North Kingshighway Street to Perryville Road-Under construction.
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Main Street — TTF5 -In-house plans are under review.
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North Sprigg Street — Lexington Avenue to Broadway- Bid documents are being prepared.
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Cape LaCroix Trail at Shawnee Park- Paving is complete, and the project is expected to be completed by September.
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2026 Concrete Street Repair- Public Works is completing concrete repairs on Corporate Circle.
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The next Developer Roundtable meeting is scheduled for October 15, 2026.
Airport
July 31- August 6
Airport
- ARFF training for Ops staff
- Repaired Air Compressor in Commander Hangar
- Presentation on the Recondition of the A-4 Static Jet at the entrance of the airport to the American Legion.
- Wildlife mitigation for Birds and Coyotes on the airfield.
- The New Corporate Hangar project is complete, and the aircraft are parked inside.
- 28 flights: 3 Delays 0 Cancellations (CX) 0 Mechanical (MX)
- 7/31: ORD inbound flt 3080 1hr5min – Weather in ORD.
- 8/03: ORD inbound flt 3080 1hr – Crew Rest in ORD
- 8/06: ORD outbound flt 3083 20min – Gate congestion in ORD
Enplanements (7/31 – 8/06)=326 - 7 flights to ORD: 148 70% Load Factor
- 5 flights to DFW: 123 82% Load Factor
- 2 flights to PNS: 055 92% Load Factor
JULY Enplanements YTD Enplanements
2026 – 1,381 2026 – 8,000
2025 – 986 (-395) 2025 – 5,345 (-2,655)
2024 – 832 (-549) 2024 – 4,788 (-3,212)
2023 – 795 (-586) 2023 – 4,236 (-3,764)
What’s Going on in Cape
New Rental Registration and inspection Program
The City is exploring a proactive rental registration and inspection program to promote safer communities, strengthen neighborhoods, and maintain the quality of housing throughout the city.
Currently, code enforcement is primarily complaint-driven, meaning many rental properties are not addressed until conditions have significantly deteriorated. This reactive approach limits the City’s ability to identify and correct problems before they become costly or create broader neighborhood impacts. Tenants may also hesitate to report unsafe conditions because they fear retaliation or eviction.
The current system presents several operational challenges. The City needs a reliable system to identify, track, and monitor rental and derelict properties. Without such a system, it is difficult to prioritize enforcement efforts and identify repeat offenders. Inspections are also subject to Fourth Amendment protections, which require lawful consent or other legal authority before a property can be entered. These constitutional protections must be respected while the City works to ensure that rental housing is safe and habitable.
The Inspections Division has reviewed rental registration and inspection programs from several Missouri communities to identify an approach that is fair, practical, and effective for everyone involved. Based on this review, the most balanced approach is to require an inspection of each rental unit before a new tenant moves into the property. This process would establish a clear point of accountability, allow property owners to correct issues before occupancy, protect tenants from unsafe or substandard conditions, and provide the City with a consistent and manageable system for tracking rental properties.
Under the proposed approach, inspections would:
- Allow prospective tenants to contact inspections department to identify safety and maintenance concerns before occupancy.
- Give property owners time to make necessary repairs.
- Protect tenants from unsafe or substandard living conditions.
- Help the City identify and monitor rental properties.
- Reduce reliance on tenant complaints.
- Establish a fair and consistent inspection process.
The City would conduct inspections only with proper consent or other legal authority, respecting the constitutional rights of property owners and tenants.
The program would also include reasonable enforcement measures. Property owners must be held accountable, but penalties should be designed to avoid unnecessarily displacing responsible tenants.
Why It Matters
The number of rental properties is increasing, and some properties show signs of deferred maintenance, structural deterioration, and overgrown lots. These conditions can lower surrounding property values, discourage investment, and negatively affect entire neighborhoods.
Revitalizing the rental program is also a crime-prevention initiative. Neglected and abandoned properties can attract vandalism, trespassing, illegal dumping, and other criminal activity. By proactively monitoring rental properties, improving property tracking, and implementing balanced enforcement measures that encourage compliance, the City can reduce opportunities for crime, promote safer housing, encourage responsible property maintenance, strengthen neighborhoods, and improve the overall quality of life in Cape Girardeau.
Please share your thoughts and suggestions, we look forward to hearing our resident’s input!
