Police, prosecutors targeting gun crimes in Sikeston

SIKESTON -- Working closer with the public and enforcing a no-tolerance policy are among the ways city police and county prosecutors plan to target gun crimes in Sikeston.

Sikeston Department of Public Safety Chief Drew Juden, Scott County Prosecutor Paul Boyd and New Madrid County Prosecutor Andrew Lawson detailed their plan on Wednesday.

Juden previously met with the two prosecutors after noticing a spike in gun crimes in Sikeston earlier this year. During their meeting, Juden cited several cases already in which DPS made arrests for assaults with firearms, arrests of apparent drug dealers with drugs and stolen weapons and several other gunshot calls.

For example, Sikeston DPS received 12 actual shots-fired calls and three people were arrested with weapons -- all within weeks of each other, Juden said. Two of those were stolen weapons.

Recent Sikeston shootings include a man who was shot in his right shoulder at 11:30 p.m. March 24 outside his residence on Monte Circle in Sikeston. At 10:30 a.m. Feb. 10, police were called to Montgomery Street after a 23-year-old man received several gunshot wounds to his torso and legs.

In late 2015, two shootings occurred on Dec. 19 in Sikeston. One occurred in the early morning when a 16-year-old was shot in his abdomen after answering his door. The second shooting occurred about 5 p.m. at a liquor store in the 800 block of West Malone Avenue. A man died after being shot in the chest.

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