[WestMALocals] Fwd: [AriseAction] Fwd: Increased police patrols promised for Springfield

[Owen Broadhurst]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michael Lindberg <michaellindberg at burntmail.com>
Date: Sep 1, 2006 5:04 PM
Subject: [AriseAction] Fwd: Increased police patrols promised for
Springfield


MassLive.com
http://www.masslive.com/news/topstories/index.ssf?/base/news-1/115709676788100.xml&coll=1

The Republican

Increased police patrols promised for Springfield
Friday, September 01, 2006
By Mike Plaisance
mplaisance at repub.com

Springfield - Aiming to give the public back its public
spaces, Mayor Charles V. Ryan and Police Commissioner Edward
A. Flynn said yesterday that an increased police presence
will enforce quality-of-life laws.

"I think it is time that we say enough is enough," Ryan
said.

Beginning next week, Flynn said, downtown particularly and
other public-gathering spots will see additional police on
foot and bike patrols and in cruisers with the intent to
make people feel comfortable outside.

Flynn tried to illustrate the point with an anecdote.
Driving down Main Street on a recent afternoon, he noticed a
group of people with various issues "governing their
behavior" hanging around the fountain in front of Monarch
Place. As a result, pedestrians avoided the spot, he said.

He got a foot-patrol officer stationed there, he said, and
the fountain crowd soon dispersed. "So the goal was to
create an environment in which people feel comfortable
outside," he said.

The department's overtime account will be tapped to help in
funding the extra patrols, he said. As of Aug. 25, about two
months into the fiscal year, the department had spent
$170,000 in overtime.

That account was $1.3 million when the fiscal year began on
July 1, said Christine M. Cole, Police Department director
of information and technology.

The focus comes as attention has been trained on the
so-called quality of life issues for several months.

The Republican has been running a series of stories based on
problems outlined on coupons submitted by readers. Problems
include abandoned buildings, noise, litter, debris and drug
dealing.

>From panhandling and homeless people roaming the downtown
and the riverfront, to noise, litter and public urination,
officials, police, advocates of the homeless and residents
have been discussing and debating what "improvement"
means.

After the Ryan-Flynn press conference at City Hall, the head
of an advocacy group for poor people said "enforcement" is
the wrong approach.

Instead, official effort should be devoted to providing a
place for the homeless to go during the daytime when the
night shelters close, said Michaelann C. Bewsee, president
of Arise for Social Justice. "If we're going to talk about
quality of life issues, how about quality of life issues for
homeless people?" Bewsee said in a phone interview.

Flynn said police will be practical. They understand some
problems that make downtown an unpleasant place at times are
caused by people who have mental-health or substance-abuse
difficulties, he said.

Police will try to get help for such people, he said.

But the "willful" problem-causers will be arrested because
bad behavior won't be tolerated.

"The Police Department is going to respond to public acts of
disorder," Flynn said.

Ryan said one problem in addressing such problems has been
the lack of detoxification and other treatment facilities,
and he plans to meet with legislators to increase such
assistance. As for why the push is coming now, Ryan said
there were several factors. He praised the City Council for
its June approval of stiffer fines for those who litter,
cause excessive noise or vandalize public property.

Also, he said, the Police Department in the past few years
has been in transition. Flynn took over in March. More than
100 police employees were laid off because of budget cuts
three years ago, though some have been recalled. And
patrolmen approved a new contract with the city this month
after a bitter dispute.




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-- 
Owen R. Broadhurst
Candidate for State Representative
Third Hampden District
http://www.owenbroadhurst.org