SPRINGFIELD - Springfield police officials announced additional officers will be on the street in the hope of stopping the deadly swell of gun violence that has resulted in five homicides this month.
Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood and Mayor Domenic Sarno held a press briefing at police headquarters to decry what was terms an “uptick” in violent crime, and said much of if was the result of the deadly combination of street gangs and illegal drugs.
“This involves gangs and drugs, plain and simple,” Sarno said.
Clapprood said there have been incidents of gang members, many of whom are not Springfield residents, coming to the city to cause trouble.
“I just want everyone to know it will not be tolerated,” she said.
“We will continue the extra details, will continue the pressure, will continue arresting people and seizing their guns," she said. “We want to let you know we are out there affecting these arrests.”
Sarno said
In the wake of the most recent homicide, the shooting death of 19-year-old Nathaniel Olivo on Glendell Terrace Tuesday night, Clapprood ordered additional officers deployed on Wednesday night as part of an anti-gang detail. The tactic produced immediate results with nine arrests and 4 unlawful firearms seized in two separate incidents.
In one incident, police stopped a car with 5 men inside near where a memorial vigil had been set up for Olivo on Glendell Terrace. The vehicle was stopped because police saw the occupants acting suspiciously. Inside the car, police found two guns hidden under a jacket in the backseat.
At the time, more than 100 people were gathering at the vigil site, and crowd would grow unruly and have to be dispersed by police. A number of people at the vigil turned on the police, leading to some arrests for disorderly conduct. A juvenile was also arrested and charged with throwing a bottle at a police office.
The scene of a fatal shooting on Glendell Terrace in Springfield, Nov. 21, 2019. A shrine was started at the scene hours after the shooting, and it continued to grow Thursday and the crowds become unruly, leading to the police commissioner to order it removed by Friday.Patrick Johnson / The Republican
Clapprood said that on Friday she ordered the memorial to be removed from the tree belt for the safety of the police and neighborhood residents.
The five homicides since Nov. 1 include Olivo, and the shooting death of Dhimani Rivera-Therrien, 19 of Chicopee, in Upper Hill on Sunday. On Nov. 3, Gabriel Irizarry of Chicopee was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting on I-91 in downtown Springfield.
Sarno said the city has no tolerance from violent crime or violent criminals and pledged the police would do what it takes to curb it.
“If you’re going to be disrespectful and take people’s lives, we’re going to hit back and hit back quickly, and hit back hard,” he said.
Sarno and Clapprood said much of the recent violence involves young people involved with street gangs, and many of these people are from out of town.
Sarno and Clapprood each noted a number of recent incidents involving someone already wearing a court-ordered GPS device designed to track their movements while they await trial.
Sarno said many of these cases involve violent, repeat offenders, and the courts should have known better than to let them out of custody. He repeated an often-mentioned criticism of district court justices for setting low bails on violent offenders.
“I want them off our streets and out of our neighborhoods,” he said.
Citing the mantra of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Sarno said “I’m going to say to the court system and some of the judges ... do your job! Keep them off my streets and out of my neighborhoods."
The police narcotics unit has seized nine firearms in this month alone during drug arrests. It has confiscated 47 since January.
The arrests Thursday night occurred in the area of 800 East Columbus Street at around 5:15 p.m. and about an hour later at Pine and Cedar streets.
In the East Columbus arrest, Metro Unit officers and Narcotics detectives arrested 4 men and seized 2 firearms. Three of the four were from outside Springfield.
Arrested were Matthew Swenor, 19, of Ludlow, Shan Diaz-Bradley, 18, of Chicopee, Jose Cruz, 22, of Chicopee, and Daniel Davila, 24, of Springfield. Each was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm without a license, possession of a high-capacity firearm, and possession of stolen property.
In the Pine and Cedar arrests, Narcotics detectives and Metro Unit officers working an anti-crime detail stopped a car and found two guns in the back seat.
Arrested were Abdikadir Hussein, 27, Victor Contreras, 19, Matthew Ponce, 25, Luis Andino, 23, and Nathaniel Negron, 23, all of Springfield.
Each is charged with possession of a firearm without a license, and possession of a loaded firearm. Hussein was also charged with driving without a license and giving a false name to a police officer.