Coakley discusses crime

Date: 10/27/2010

Oct. 27, 2010

By Katelyn Gendron

Assistant Editor

SPRINGFIELD -- Attorney Gen. Martha Coakley traveled to Springfield last week to meet with Mayor Domenic Sarno, Police Commissioner William Fitchett and District Attorney William Bennett to discuss public safety initiatives in the city's downtown.

Departing City Hall, the group took a walking tour of the area, greeting constituents while reminding them to vote for Coakley on Nov. 2. The attorney general is running against Attorney James McKenna who garnered a spot in general election thanks to a historic write-in campaign totaling more than 25,000 votes during the Sept. 14 primary.

"She's here fighting for the average person in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," Sarno said, citing her work to curb drug and gang activities and street crime, among other initiatives.

Coakley has been instrumental in providing Hampden District "with the tools for state prosecution," he added. "She's been multi-faceted and always there to help."

Coakley concurred with Sarno, adding that her office does have a presence in Springfield and is committed to public safety and quality of life issues in Western Massachusetts. "I believe my office plays a pivotal role in public safety," she said.

"She has been a great partner to all of us out here in Western Mass.," Bennett said of Coakley.

The district attorney, who chose not to seek reelection this fall, called his 20-year working relationship with Coakley, "a great partnership."

"I can say, without exaggeration, that the partnerships in Western Massachusetts are just fantastic. We all feel like we are a part of one team," Bennett said of his work with the Springfield Police Department, the mayor's office and the attorney general.

Collaborations with the Springfield Business Improvement District (BID), Team Springfield, and the department's methodical, data-based policing system have garnered lower overall crime rates, Fitchett said.

"We work closely with the BID with their camera [system] to utilize their eyes and ears. We have extra details on bike paths and a specialized detail on Friday and Saturday nights for the entertainment district," he explained.

However, it's not just enough to "suppress crime," Fitchett added, there must be future "compliance" in order to better the quality of life for all those in the city.