The Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority (CTA) launched a new community partnership program with the Cape Girardeau Police department on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018 called Watch on Wheels (WOW). CTA transit drivers will act as a rolling crime watch and report suspicious activity to police.
It is the first program of its kind in Missouri, but has been implemented successfully in Denver, according to Tom Mogelnicki, executive director of the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority (CTA), and Cape Girardeau police chief Wes Blair.
The CTA currently employees nearly 70 drivers and operates 24 hours a day, six days a week and part of the day Sunday.
“It’s just another set of eyes and ears for us out here in the city. CTA covers the same amount of area or more than we do, so what better way to help the community out by having more eyes out there helping us fight crime,” said Lt. Brad Smith.
CTA drivers and dispatchers underwent training conducted by police and Southeast industrial/ organizational psychology graduate students.
“We’re stressing to the drivers don’t get involved. If you see something, drive off and go down a block or two, and call in either dispatcher or 9-1-1, and report what you see,” said Mogelnicki. “I think we can be the eyes for the community and the police department,” he added.
Smith said some reported incidents may turn out not to be criminal in nature. Smith said he would “rather take a whole day of nothing calls” than have one incident go unnoticed that might help solve a crime.
CTA drivers are welcoming the program and say they feel more comfortable reporting suspicious activities after going through training.