[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 65 (Friday, April 7, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E822]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   THE SAGINAW GANG CRIME TASK FORCE: COMMUNITY POLICING AT ITS BEST

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                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 6, 1995
  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that the safety of our 
streets is a key concern for all Americans. And just as people have 
become more aware of our crime problems, many good citizens have become 
personally involved in developing creative solutions to augmenting the 
ability of our hard-working police departments in the fight against 
crime.
  The city of Saginaw had been the victim of an unacceptably high crime 
rate. Murders, firearms violations, and aggravated assaults were 
greater than surrounding areas. A 1994 survey by the Michigan 
Prosecuting Attorney's Coordinating Council also documented the 
existence of at least 13 gangs in the Saginaw area, with membership in 
the hundreds. These gangs were responsible for the inordinate amount of 
crime in Saginaw.
  The Saginaw County Sheriff, Tom McIntyre, along with local Chiefs of 
Police, State Police officials, agents of the FBI, the Drug Enforcement 
Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Secret 
Service concluded that the police needed help to deal with these gangs. 
Continuing work by the office of Saginaw Mayor Gary Loster, Saginaw 
County Prosecutor Michael Thomas, and other community organizations 
confirmed the concerns about gang-related crime. It became clear that 
resources devoted to gang activities were insufficient and that a 
concerted effort to deal with these gangs was necessary.
  Mayor Loster and FBI resident agent Phil Kerby were then responsible 
for creating the Saginaw Gang Crime Task Force. Each participating 
agency was asked to contribute human resources to the gang crime 
effort, and they did it. The Task Force garnered greater public 
support, and their resources grew.
  Since the formal introduction of the Task Force to the public on 
April 6, 1995, the Task Force has been directly responsible for making 
many public events safer. Murders are down 20 percent. Violent crime is 
down 10 percent. People feel better about their neighborhoods, and 
Saginaw is on its way to restoring its reputation as a wonderful, 
inviting city.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues to join me in praising the 
dedicated men and women who make up the Saginaw Gang Crime Task Force 
and Saginaw community leaders who have worked so hard to deal with gang 
crime. It shows once again that there is no better resource for our 
nation than concerned, committed citizens working with public servants 
doing the best that they can under very difficult circumstances.


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