Sheriff: Violence in Gary rises after extra patrols end
GARY, Ind. (AP) - The Lake County sheriff says deadly violence is rising in Gary, attributing it in part to extra patrols ending due to county funding drying up.
According to Gary Police Department data, 38 people were killed in the city from January through August, the most in that period in the past five years.
In August, when Gary saw nine killings, Lake County leaders approved $200,000 in emergency funding early that month to put more county law enforcement officers on Gary streets.
Police department data say there was one killing each in September and October. Emergency funds ran out in mid-November, and there have been 10 total in November and December.
Lake County Sheriff John Buncich said much of the violence before the extra patrols were started stemmed from gangs fighting over drug turf. He said the extra patrols, with help from state and federal law enforcement, were effective and helped in apprehending four gang leaders.
Buncich told the (Merrillvile) Post-Tribune (http://trib.in/1TnScCb ) he plans to ask for more funding to restore emergency patrols in January.
For much of 2015, the Gary Police Department has been understaffed. Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said the department has 198 officers, but ideally would be staffed at 210 or 220 officers.
Gary police investigation commander Del Stout said added manpower is always helpful in law enforcement, but that it can't always be attributed to an increase or decrease in crime. In three of the December cases, he said the motive was robbery, which tends to increase around the holidays.
Stout and Freeman-Wilson attribute the earlier drop in killings in part to a new program focusing on those most at risk of committing a violent crime and offering education, job training and other social services. The mayor said residents are also working more proactively with law enforcement, and that other violent crimes are down from last year.
"It's just hard to celebrate the success in getting crime down in other areas when people are still losing their lives," she said.
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Information from: Post-Tribune, http://posttrib.chicagotribune.com/