Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Gun Violence topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council and police discuss gun violence response; chief says cameras and prosecutions are next steps for Birch Park
Summary
Councilors expressed alarm about shootings and homicides, especially at Birch Park Apartments. The police chief said the property and police have agreed to a camera system that will be monitored by the city and that prosecutions are central to reducing violence.
Council members used the public-comment and council-comment portions of the meeting to press for stronger responses to gun violence and to ask what the city and property managers can do about persistent shootings at locations including Birch Park Apartments.
Councilwoman Shelby said the city must hold owners and managers accountable for what she described as repeated violence at Birch Park. "At some point, I don't know what we can do, if anything, but I'm sure there are some things we can do because just to say the phrase enough is enough," she said, calling for accountability by owners and management.
The police chief (name not specified in the transcript) told council that the department has worked overtime patrols in the area for several years and described the violence as part of a broader cultural problem: "They've got a Section 8 housing full of women with children. ... When the guys are in there and they have a cultural issue, they got a score to settle. What do they do? They don't care," the chief said.
The chief confirmed a partnership with Birch Park management to place license-plate-reading cameras on the property and said a contract had been signed by the property owner; the city attorney prepared the agreement and the item was scheduled to come to council for formal approval in the next meeting cycle. "They are working with us in a partnership to put a camera system in front of that building that only we are going to monitor," the chief said, adding that the system is intended to help investigators identify suspects and support prosecutions.
The chief stressed prosecutions as the primary deterrent: "What it's going to do is it's going to allow us to put more people in prison. That's going to stop the crime," he said, calling for community cooperation and noting investments the city has made in violence-intervention groups and victim services.
Other council members emphasized prevention and intervention programs alongside enforcement. Council members and the chief described grant-funded intervention programs and victim-services investments designed to reduce violence through outreach, and the chief said the city has invested in groups that provide on-the-ground intervention work.
Nut graf: Councilors framed the issue as requiring a mix of enforcement, monitoring and community-based prevention. The police chief and staff described immediate steps — camera systems, overtime patrols, prosecutions — while council members and staff said long-term reductions will require interventions, jobs and youth programming.
Ending: The camera agreement for Birch Park is expected to be presented to council in a future meeting; council members said they will continue to press for enforcement, landlord accountability and support for prevention programs.
