A 19-year-old New Bedford man was walking on Sawyer Street May 4 when a group of young men attacked him with a metal pipe, breaking his jaw in three places and sending him to the hospital.
His offense? Snitchin'.
The man had spoken with police officers investigating a shooting for which Juan Figueroa-Pacheco, a reputed Latin Kings gang member, was later arrested. Though he may have helped police arrest an allegedly violent gang member, the man committed the cardinal sin of the "stop-snitching" street code and paid a price.
Just a day later, more than 20 people were in the vicinity of 31 Ashley St. when William Lomas, 29, of New Bedford, was stabbed in the neck, chest and back during a fight. But when questioned by police, Mr. Lomas and other witnesses refused to say who stabbed him.
These examples underscore a growing problem for police: witnesses, and sometimes even victims, of violent crimes do not want to come forward because they are afraid of the consequences.
Harassing telephone calls, smashed car windows, verbal threats and physical assaults are just some of the risks a witness faces for cooperating with law enforcement.
"Being a witness just causes problems," said Anthony, a 24-year-old Boston resident who was in New Bedford Thursday for a court appearance. "That's how people get killed."
Anthony, who requested that his last name not be used, said he would not talk to police even if he saw a violent crime, because of what could happen to him.
"Any person who lifts a finger to help the cops is not gonna live a long time," he said. "People have no remorse for life. I'd advise everybody not to talk."
That sentiment frustrates police officials and prosecutors, who say investigations are being thwarted by witnesses who either do not divulge information or change their testimonies during a trial because of intimidation tactics from a defendant's friends or relatives.
"It's a very difficult environment to be a police officer," New Bedford Police Chief Ronald Teachman said. "The whole 'stop snitching' thing has gone crazy. It's a problem for police across the country."
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