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Hundreds arrested by state police in law enforcement ‘surge’ to combat street violence in Brockton

Extra state police patrols to combat violence in Brockton keep criminals ‘on the run’

MARC VASCONCELLOS
A Massachusetts State Police K-9 Unit works the scene on Crescent Street. State police have arrested hundreds of people and issued thousands of citations since a “surge” of extra patrols hit the streets nearly three months ago to combat gun violence.

By Maureen Boyle
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Posted May 12, 2008 @ 02:17 AM
Last update May 12, 2008 @ 06:58 AM

BROCKTON —
State police have arrested hundreds of people and issued thousands of citations since a “surge” of extra patrols hit the streets nearly three months ago to combat gun violence.
“It is exactly what we needed,” Police Chief William Conlon said.
As of April 28, state police had issued 2,356 citations and arrested hundreds of people on charges ranging from guns and drugs to motor vehicle offenses, according to numbers supplied by the state police.
“We are keeping them on the run,” said state police Maj. Michael Crisp. “The patrols help keep street-level drug dealing at a minimum.”
The patrols began in late February, after a spate of street violence and killings, and will be continuing as the weather warms.
The state police patrols are a welcome addition in the city as Brockton, faced with a projected $4.6 million budget shortfall, struggles to replace retiring officers.
“It really has been a great gift to the city to have them present,” Conlon said.
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz said he hopes the state can maintain the same levels of patrols throughout the summer.
He said, however, the state patrols are a short-term fix: the city police force is undermanned and needs to be beefed up.
“We need qualified, trained police officers out there on the streets,” Cruz said.
Meanwhile, the extra patrols are making criminals extra cautious, Crisp said.
“They are afraid to have the firearm on their person,” Crisp said. “Now, they’ll keep it behind a bush instead of in their waistband.”
That could appear to be a minor change to some but it could lead to a drop in spur-of-the-moment shootings or killings, he said.
“There were cases in the past where someone pull out a gun, without really thinking, and shoot a person,” Crisp said. “In a couple of murders, we would ask: ‘Why’d you shoot him?’ The person would say, ‘I saw him going by.’”
The state patrols are part of a local, state and federal effort to curb street violence in Brockton.
Federal agents have been working with both state and city investigators, targeting so-called “impact players” responsible for drug and gun trafficking.
“We are coming at them from every angle,” Crisp said.
Cruz said the triple-barrel approach is needed to tackle both immediate and long-term crime problems in the city.
Last week, U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan announced investigators had seized 14 guns and nine people faced federal charges as part of that effort.
The state police street patrols — dubbed “Operation Surge” — are helping catch a number of criminals wanted on other crimes as well as getting guns off the streets.
Some people in the community have complained about state police stopping vehicles in the city, but Conlon said it is those types of stops that are catching some of the criminals.
“A lot of the times, we will find that there were weapons in the cars,” the police chief said. “It really keeps the bad guys on their toes.”


http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/x...ce-in-Brockton

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