New England Public Radio

Springfield Gets Million Dollar Grant To Expand Crime Prevention Program

Springfield officials are expanding a crime prevention program that uses military counter-insurgency tactics into the city’s South End. They announced Monday a $1 million grant from the US Justice Department for the program.

The strategy developed by the state police is called Counter Criminal Continuum or C3 policing, which is based on the military’s counter-insurgency programs.

Mayor Domenic Sarno says a partnership with State Police and the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department will target the South End’s Hollywood section, a distressed neighborhood that has been undergoing redevelopment but continues to be plagued by poverty, street crime and gang violence.

“People want in the neighborhoods, whether it’s downtown or any of our 17 neighborhoods across the city of Springfield, quality of life. And number one, they want to be able to feel safe,” Sarno says.

Police Commissioner William Fitchett says C3 policing has been used in the city’s North End for the past three years. He says a combination of aggressive arrests and community relations, including job training and healthcare, has begun to show positive results.

“You can make a significant change if you concentrate your effort in a small area, then hope that it blossoms out into the rest of the community. And generally, it does.”

Officials say Springfield is one of only 14 cities nationwide awarded the Edwin Byrne Memorial Grant – named after a New York City police officer killed on duty. 

Mayor Sarno Holds Talks With Resettlement Agencies Over Refugee Complaints In Springfield

A task force is being set up to look into complaints of ill treatment of refugees in Springfield. It is the outcome of a meeting Wednesday between Mayor Domenic Sarno and a coalition of groups. In calling for a moratorium on refugee resettlement, Mayor Sarno says his issue is not about attacking refugees, but on a lack of accountability and follow through by relief groups. He says the city has also reached its tipping point in absorbing what he describes as a disproportionate share of refugees.

“I want to legitimately help the families that are here now. But we’re sending a message up to the Federal government on down that other communities need to step up,” Sarno says.

Sometime heated exchanges were overheard in the closed door meeting hosted by the mayor. But Kathryn Buckley-Brawner, executive director of Catholic Charities, says those were healthy disagreements and was encouraged by the meeting. She says one of the task force’s charges is to look into the mayor’s complaints that resettlement agencies are failing to follow-up with refugees.

“We will research that. We will find out why that may or may not have occurred, and to what extent the service agencies can actually do a better job with the city in meeting the needs of the refugees,” Buckley-Brawner says.

Buckley-Brawner says the group, which will also include representatives from the city and state, is expected to meet within the three to four weeks.

Sarno Sticks With Call For Halt To Refugee Resettlement In Springfield

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno is not backing down on his call for a moratorium on placing refugees in the city. Sarno’s comments come ahead of a meeting Wednesday with several resettlement agencies.

In a letter to the U.S. State Department two weeks ago, Sarno cited reports from various city departments of refugees placed in substandard housing with significant code violations, as well as increased crime against new immigrants as his reason for calling for a halt of refugees into the city.

His letter drew protests from relief agencies and refugee advocacy groups, claiming the mayor was misinformed and was trying to deflect the ills of the city on an already vulnerable population.

In backing up his argument, however, Sarno says a group of Somali refugees came to his office Friday supporting his call for a moratorium.  On Monday, one of them spoke to reporters through a translator, and said his family of seven arrived in Springfield last October and were placed by Lutheran Social Services in an apartment with no heat, stove or blankets to ward off the unfamiliar cold weather.

“They’re putting them in places with rents that are higher than they can pay,” Sarno says. “When we asked about cold weather months, are there coats or clothing provided? They’re saying no. The education, transportation, social follow up, health follow up. It’s not there.”

Told of Sarno’s comments, a spokesperson for Lutheran Social Services says it does regularly monitor refugees during their resettlement period.

Specialized Mass State Police Unit Coming Back To Springfield To Help Combat ‘Uptick’ In Shootings

Springfield officials say the city is about to be bolstered by Massachusetts state police patrols to help combat gun-related violence.

Mayor Domenic Sarno has formally requested the assistance of a specialized state police unit called CAT or Community Action Team.  Sarno spokesperson James Leydon says the request is in response to multiple shootings, an armed robbery and a stabbing in just the past few days – though none of the incidents have resulted in fatalities.

Leydon says the mayor wants to deploy the CAT team in certain neighborhoods like Mason Square and lower Forest Park, as well as the entertainment district downtown, especially during late night hours.

“A lot of these are hot-spot areas. A lot seem to be either domestic-related or drug and gang-related. It’s not widespread; it’s not all over the city,” Leydon said. “But it’s, you know, it’s giving us a bad rap, and he really wants to deploy all resources that are available to try to suppress it.”

The added patrols are being paid for through a $100,000 appropriation from the state legislature. Springfield Police spokesperson Sergeant John Delaney says the CAT team has helped patrol the city in past years, and the plan to have them again has long been in the works. And Delaney stresses that for a city its size, Springfield is still safe to live and visit.

“When we look at our statistics over the last year, you know, crime is down in Springfield. But when you watch the news, people have the perception that crime is up because there’s a shooting here, there’s a shooting there,” Delaney said. 

Delaney says Police Commissioner William Fitchett is scheduled to meet Tuesday with State Police officials to coordinate deploying the CAT team in Springfield, who could be on patrol as early as this weekend.

Springfield Officials Unveil ‘Enhanced’ Police Plan For City’s Downtown And South End

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno today (Wednesday) unveiled what he calls a comprehensive strategy to enhance police patrols in the City’s downtown and South End. Mayor Sarno says visitors to the downtown and South End will see more foot and bicycle patrols during the day and evening hours, especially on Fridays and Saturdays.
“These deployments might increase with special events. We’re going to synchronize this with events going on at the MassMutual, Symphony Hall, conventions, festivals, parades, concerts, other activities going on downtown.”
Sarno says the new strategy also includes added street lighting along with anti-prostitution, liquor compliance and noise enforcement details. Sarno says the policing plan was in the works long before the recent spat of violence. Springfield recorded its tenth homicide of the year this past weekend, though all have occurred in neighborhoods outside the downtown and South End. Police Commissioner William Fitchett says criminal activity in the area has already diminished over the past year, but the added police presence should give visitors and businesses a greater sense of comfort.
“I call it showing the flag. In other words people love to see the walking officer; they love to interact with him. So we’re going to use those type of patrols, along with bicycle patrols which are very effective and just as personable, I think, the bicycle patrols the officers are accessible. And the monies that are saved from the downtown deployment, we’re going to put into the neighborhoods”
Fitchett says the enhanced deployment, scheduled to begin this weekend, is not connected to any security plans related to the proposed resort casino for the city. Mayor Sarno says the plan will cost about $25,000 a month,  which will come from cost savings at the Springfield Parking Authority.

 

Springfield Mayor Presents ‘Austere’ FY14 Budget Proposal To City Council

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno formally presented to the City Council today [Wednesday] a nearly $572 million budget proposal for the fiscal year beginning July1st. Calling it austere but balanced, Sarno says the proposal includes $7 million from reserves and up to $5 million from the recently negotiated host-community agreement with MGM to build a casino in the city. He says the plan averts layoffs for the first time in his six years in office.
“I’ve tried to preserve services I know that are important to the city and its citizens, residents and businesses which require preserving city jobs where possible.”
The package, however, does contain more than $13 million in cuts, including eliminating 28 vacant positions, 11 in the Police Department. But Sarno says the city will fully fund the current police academy class of 22 recruits. Recreation programs from city parks to pools and splash pads, that were curtailed or shut down last year, will be kept open and maintained this summer. Two of the city’s ten libraries will be closed and re-purposed as adult education centers. But Assistant Library Director John Ramsey says the remaining libraries will be open longer from 18 to 30 hours a week.
“People are constantly coming to library buildings, the central library and the branches, only to find out that they’re closed. They can’t keep track of when they’re open. It will be much more reliable now for residents to have a pretty good sense that if they go a library; it’s going to be open.”
The City Council has until the end of June to cut the budget further or ratify it as is.