Morse would institute community policing if elected

Date: 5/3/2011

May 4, 2011

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor

HOLYOKE — Continuing his series of press events to announce parts of his platform, mayoral candidate Alex Morse said he would emphasize a commitment to community policing if he is elected mayor.

Morse, speaking to Reminder Publications before his press conference, said the mayor must be both tough on crime and committed to community issues.

Crime, in Morse's view, is linked directly to both education and civic pride.

He said that out-going Police Chief Anthony Scott has done a "wonderful job," even though Morse believes in some policing strategies that Scott did not use. Among those is the practice of having police officers on walking and bicycle beats as well as getting out of patrol cars and walking through neighborhoods.

Morse believes such activities would build greater communication and understanding between officers and residents.

Although former Mayor Michael Sullivan, who recruited Scott, gave the chief much autonomy, Morse believes the mayor needs to be, at least initially, involved in policing decisions.

Morse also believes bringing community policing to the city would help reduce crime. With community policing, specific officers would be assigned to neighborhoods, building close relationships with residents and businesses in that neighborhood.

Having officers more involved in neighborhoods is one way to prevent greater gang activities, Morse asserted. More job opportunities for young people are another way to prevent gangs from growing, he added.

Morse said that he knows by seeing hundreds of young people coming to CareerPoint for job leads that they want to work.

Having additional recreational activities would also be an intervention strategy for gangs, he said.

Keeping kids in school is another crime deterrent, Morse said. He noted that 80 percent of the people incarcerated in the Hampden County House of Corrections do not have a high school diploma.

Holyoke does not have a civilian police commission and Morse would begin one if he were elected. The purpose of the commission would not include the hiring and dismissal of officers, but to address complaints and to make sure policing issues are discussed, "holding everyone accountable."

"Let's work together to solve the problem," Morse said.

Morse said that how and where police resources should be implemented should be "data driven." He would direct the police department to deploy more officers in areas with greater incidences of crime. He called this "commonsense crime prevention."

When asked if Holyoke needs more police officers, Morse replied, " Every community could use more police officers, including Holyoke."

Morse added he would explore funding opportunities to bring on more officers, but he said the city would not hire more police if that meant decreasing the number of teachers or other non-public safety personnel.