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| By G. Michael Dobbs Managing Editor SPRINGFIELD Walter Gould of the Outer Belt Civic Association admitted that he is "a hard guy to impress," but the actions of the newly formed Ordinance Flex Squad of the Springfield Police Department have impressed him. Gould noted that complaints made about problems that included parking on lawns and a tractor trailer driver who started his rig at 4 a.m. every morning were handled in one day and the officer involved made a follow-up call to explain that had been done to address the situation. "I appreciate it a job well done," Gould added. Gould was one of a group of people to speak at a press conference last Tuesday about the first month of activities of the squad that hit the streets on Feb. 11. Acting Commissioner William Fitchet said that over 100 calls on quality of life issues have been addressed. The patrolmen assigned to the squad Keith C. Fleming, Raphael Vega, Mark E. Kenney and Christopher J. Hrycay and their commanding officer, Lt. Thomas Trites, have been involved in calls that have ranged from dealing with basketball hoops in the streets and abandoned cars to the arrest of an individual who was in possession of more than 2,000 bags of heroin and the regulation of the city's taxicabs. The list of calls also included 62 snow-related issues, 38 motor vehicle violations, 13 animal complaints, 23 loitering, panhandling and intoxicated individuals, 30 vacant or abandoned houses or buildings, seven illegal dumpings, 18 loud noise calls and 26 law enforcement assistances. Mayor Domenic Sarno said the squad has done "a tremendous job." "The results have been astounding," he added. Barbara Hayes, the executive director of the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control Center, said the squad assisted her organization when a fire broke out at a home where 30 pets were located. Thomas Walsh of Sarno's staff said within the first two weeks of the squad's creation, one Springfield resident told him the officers solved a quality of life problem she had been complaining unsuccessfully about for the past seven years. Trites said the key to the success in the unit has been the cooperation between the officers and other city departments. Fitchet said the officers are all self-motivated and look for various code violations as well as accepting calls from the dispatcher to assist other officers. Naturally, the most severe problems, especially if they are a hazard to the public, receive the highest priority, Fitchet said. Fitchet said he hopes the squad can expand in the future and the group's workload will be analyzed. Fitchet said that to keep the 911 lines open, people with quality of life problems should call 750-2371. |