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mayor Domenic Sarno after the most recent spate of shootings violence here in
the city
you've decided to bring back the special street crimes unit what do you hope that
accomplishes
Jim we have to hit back and hit back hard
urban America scourge
gang and drug violence that occurs we do have some hot spot areas in the city of
Springfield although there's plenty
of good going on also but when these spikes occur and I
spoke with Commissioner Fitchit Commissioner Fitchit has been in contact
we always work with our our state police the cat unit also federal
and state task force and he just recently was meeting with them again
yesterday was with him today
we are assembling that unit the street crimes unit I call it the Strikeforce
these are handpicked officers he or she that will be on this unit
we've dealt with this before we knocked it down before we will
do it again and they'll be operating very very shortly we already have
a clandestine operations going on but the people of those neighborhoods when I'm
out there and I don't enjoy Jim
getting the commercially beeps or phone calls late in the evening early in
the morning
but when you have to go out in those neighborhoods and there's great families
in in those neighborhoods they want peace and when these
gang or drug-related incidents are occurring
with utter disrespect for human life
we always work diplomacy in a prevention plan but right now short term
we have to hit back and we will hit back hard
the community needs to be part of the solution
many of times there are many witnesses people that are there
and yet they play the sergeant schultz I see nothing
I hear nothing if they're going to tolerate this
in there neighborhood areas it will continue to exist in urban america
we need them to be part of the solution but right now we've done it before we'll do it
again
the street crimes unit will be out there this is a
military-type paramilitary type
unit there in their fatigues they will utilize go out to
root out the evil they will utilize tactics
saturation tactics other aspects things i cant
speak of directly that they'll utilize investigations
and we have a canine unit but if you're
young person is not doing anything wrong
he or she'll have nothing to worry about
that's why I'm telling parents and family members
you need to keep your thumb on your young people know where they are
who they're with and if you're harboring these negative individuals
your part of the negative process and that is going to be
pursued so we will hit back as we've done before hard
and we will quell the situation the uptick that we had and move forward
you talk about particularly this
this latest shooting bright Saturday afternoon middle of the day you know
people around you know people saw it
but you know to people are afraid to come forward that know something
I was at the
Henderson Funeral Home not even forty-five minutes later to
you know I have to have that fine line to walk I feel for the families
that have been affected by these
negative situations but also I didn't mince any words when I
the other a couple Saturday nighst saying when announce the West Minister Street
crowd about 200 and indicated not only the
sympathy but on part of the solution needs to be
people know who did this and out police will hunt those individuals
down but they need to be part of that solution and I would say them
why would you protect someone that just shot a family member
or close friend they would do that to you in a heartbeat again
driven by gangs and drugs but that happen
in the middle of the afternoon in your face
and at that point and time total
aggravation just had left that funeral
people talking you know we're gonna change this we're gonna change this and that happened
so now it is time for a public
safety officials Springfield Police Department a brave and dedicated I'm very
proud of them
led by Commissioner Fitchit state police and all our task forces we have members in
all the task force federal task force FBI
narcotics ATF now
they will hit back and be in those people's faces
and that's very important message to send again if no one is
do anything wrong you have nothing to worry about in turn we could be saving
some young people's lives by getting them off
the street so a this uptick
we had three or four recent last few weekends
is not going to be tolerated and I've spoken some
neighborhood people neighborhood leaders and they agree that what has to be done
has to be done this is personal for you isn't it because
especially the shootings in old Hill that's not real far from where you grew
up in Springfield
it doesn't matter I don't want it anywhere in the city but let the last
incident with the Alexander family losing their
young the individual many times some people say to me mayor it was 3 o'clock in the
morning this gun
gang related drug-related I don't want anyone in the city
some of those family members the older family members I coached
in the old south end some of them went on to do very very well
lieutenants on our fire department who went on to be state police businesspeople
so it can and it will be done we just have to
many times the media seems to or so many shows glorify
gang and drug activity and that's why
preventive programs are important and will continue
to do that in our educational system in our after school programs recreation
community centers
but right now if individuals are gonna be this blantant
this blantant in-your-face type of
negative activity we are going to be
blatant and be in their faces to
get them off the streets we've done it before we will do it again
and i also want to let you know Jim too last Saturday night
I was in downtown Springfield Falcons home
opener Bruce lanner does a great job six thousand peopleI was down there with my youngest
daughter my Godchild and one of their
younger girl friends late no problems whatsoever same night to
Symphony had two thousand
people there the opener there no problems
this Saturday night coming my wife my lovely wife Carla and I will be
downtown Springfield to celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary at
a downtown dining establishment so they're plenty of good things going on
all I'm saying is that when these hot spot areas
occur we're going to hit back hard as we move forward
I'd love to erradicate all crime
in the city of Springfield or urban america that's not going to happen
but this other breakdown of disrespect for life
and again it is targeted gang drug and gun
activity we're will now hit back
Commissioner and I agree that that
strike force is coming back we work with all our bureaus we have constant
activities going on all the time
but we really now have to send a more pronounced
message out to the small percentage no matter what creed color or background
very very small percentage of individuals that wanna perpetrate
negative activities and gives the city a black eye
and that is not good the message we're sending are not only to springfield proper
but all too your viewers that live insuburban areas there's plenty of good going on in the city of springfield
but we have an issue not going to tolerate it
I'm gonna hit back hard Mayor Dominic Sarno thanks for your time sir
Jim my pleasure any time for you