Ray Mariano: Is Worcester still safe?
It was just 11 weeks — from the end of August through the first few days of November. Just 11 short weeks, barely long enough for the leaves on the trees to change colors. But in those 11 weeks, Worcester experienced a gruesome level of gun violence. The numbers don’t really tell whole the story: six shootings, eight victims, three murdered.
There were shootings on Crystal Street near Clark University, on the Worcester State University campus, on Grand Street, Endicott Street and at the Caribbean Festival. But those 11 weeks are just a small part of a larger story.
Deadly weapons
The Worcester Police Department carefully tracks and reports all crimes reported to them. But pay special attention to those crimes involving deadly weapons.
So far this year, there have been 449 ShotSpotter activations with 137 incidents of confirmed gunfire. The number of actual incidents of gunfire is likely higher.
There have been 35 incidents of gun violence where the victim was lucky enough not to die. There have been three confirmed murders. As investigations proceed, that number too is likely to increase.
Last year a total of 120 firearms connected to a crime were recovered. At the current pace, the numbers for this year should be about the same.
There have been 172 incidents in which a firearm was reportedly used in commission of a crime. That number does not include things like illegal possession of a gun or stolen guns.
So far this year, there have been 219 incidents involving the use of a knife in the commission of a crime where there was no reported injury. There were another 60 incidents where a knife was used to injure one or more people. As I started writing this column, someone was stabbed to death in Great Brook Valley.
Put in context
When asked about the incidents of violent crime, Worcester’s leaders almost automatically proclaim that Worcester is one of the safest cities of its size anywhere. Well, I guess that depends on how you describe “anywhere.”
In several rankings for violent crime per capita, Worcester ranks somewhere between the 13th and 15th most dangerous community in Massachusetts, better than cities like Holyoke, Springfield, Boston and Brockton but more violent than places like Lowell, Fitchburg, Framingham and Taunton. Being less violent than another community is cold comfort when people are afraid to walk outside.
Police complement
There are dozens of effective strategies to combat crime. We should open up our schools in the afternoon and the evening to give young people a constructive place to go. We should expand mentorship programs in conjunction with our area colleges, increase mental health counseling services and provide more internships and occupational training. All of that and much more is needed.
But there is no substitute to having a well-trained police force out in the community proactively engaging with young people and their families — reaching kids before they cross the line and get into serious trouble. And when shots are fired, you want officers on the scene and detectives investigating the crime.
Unfortunately, Worcester’s force is stretched paper-thin. Look at the numbers in the context of time. In 2000 with a population of around 172,000 residents, Worcester had an authorized police complement of 476 members on the force. Today with a population of about 206,000, the authorized complement is about the same, 478.
You also need to consider that because of retirements and those officers out injured, Worcester has only 421 officers working, 57 less than the authorized complement. When you factor in a new recruit class likely to be scheduled for January and additional expected retirements from the force, the police department will still be several dozen officers short. And those new recruits won’t complete their training until July.
Interim Police Chief Paul Saucier told me that he wants his officers to get out of their cars and engage the community. But he said that Worcester simply doesn’t have enough officers to do that. He also told me that because we have only a single officer in a car, when one responds to a crime, another has to leave their route to assist. This leaves that route without an officer.
The city should move forward with the recruit class scheduled for January and immediately schedule an additional class as soon as possible. The city also should increase the complement level and schedule additional classes.
As part of a larger strategy, the city should work with the school department to open schools in the afternoon and evening giving young people a safe place to go. The city manager should be tasked with involving community partners to increase programming, mentorships and training for teenagers and young adults.
If all Worcester does is send a patrol car after a crime is committed, things will undoubtedly get worse. City leaders need to craft a comprehensive strategy to engage the community to prevent crime from happening. And they can’t do that without involving the police.
Keep in mind that it can take a year and a half to hire and train a police officer. The city needs to start now. Thoughts and prayers won’t cut it.
Worcester is certainly safer than some other communities. But it’s not nearly as safe as it should be. City leaders have a choice to make. It can hire enough police officers so that they can work proactively in the community to prevent crimes, or they can wait for a report of a gunshot and hope that they have enough officers on duty to respond.
Email Raymond V. Mariano at rmariano.telegram@gmail.com. He served four terms as mayor of Worcester and previously served on the City Council and School Committee. He grew up in Great Brook Valley and holds degrees from Worcester State College and Clark University. He was most recently executive director of the Worcester Housing Authority. His column appears weekly in the Sunday Telegram. His endorsements do not necessarily reflect the position of the Telegram & Gazette.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Ray Mariano column on Worcester as safe compared with Mass. cities
