Law Enforcement Officials Investigate New Ways to Prevent Crime

Several top law enforcement officials in Western Massachusetts met Monday to explore new strategies for crime prevention.  WAMC’s Paul Tuthill reports…

At a conference in Springfield, the retired police chief of High Point North Carolina, James Fealy said his department implemented a strategy of strong community partnerships and focused deterrence to shut down open air drug markets.   The result, violent crime over the last decade is down 47 percent in High Point.

“There’s been dramatic impact.”

The Hampden District Attorney, Mark Mastroianni, who hosted the conference, said he believed the policing model could successfully reduce violence in high crime areas of Springfield and Holyoke.  In addition to several area chiefs of police, the mayor of Springfield, two of his top aides, the Springfield School Superintendent, and minority community leaders were at the conference.

Paul Tuthill, WAMC News.

Photo courtesy of Elliot Brown via Flickr.