PATROLS IN MAIN SOUTH AIM TO KEEP STUDENTS SAFE

Police Want To Repeat Spring Success

WORCESTER-- As students wait to hop on buses or walk to school,
police will be making sure that they do not encounter any drug
dealing or prostitution in the Main South area and that school bus
and walking routes stay safe throughout the city.

A month before the end of the last school year, the Main South
community met with police.

The 50 to 60 residents, business owners and community officials who
attended expressed concern about the "aggressive" drug dealers and
prostitutes near school bus stops early in the morning, police Chief
Gary J. Gemme said.

The vice squad was dispatched to ensure the children were safe and
to clean up the streets. It was so successful that parents began
feeling safe enough to leave their children at the bus stops.

Vice squad officers were joined by foot patrol officers who walked
the Main South area to keep a high profile.

"My understanding is it has been quiet for most of the summer, but
we want to make sure that at the beginning of the school year, we
have a visible presence and set the tone for the school year," the
chief said yesterday.

Those two programs will roll out again today as school begins.

"We wanted to address some of the issues that we faced at the end of
the school year, particularly along the Main South corridor," Chief
Gemme said.

The vice squad will be back out, and officers who normally finish
their shifts at 7 a.m. will stay out for a few more hours and walk
the Main South area.

Across the city, the traffic and patrol officers will hit the
streets and check on all school bus routes and crosswalks for
schools. There will be strict driving and crosswalk enforcement.

"We had a relatively safe summer," said the chief, noting the city
did not have a homicide or nonfatal shooting over the summer. "What
we are trying to do is extend that into the school year."

The Main South patrols and traffic enforcement will be in place for
two weeks and could be extended if the Police Department finds them necessary.

Chief Gemme said the programs could also be implemented on an as-needed basis.

Finally, the Summer Impact Unit will remain active an additional
week, until Sept. 7. The Summer Impact Unit is an added patrol that
has officers out during the summer from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The programs will cost $30,000 to $35,000 with the funds coming out
of the department's regular overtime cash.

With the department down 38 officer positions -- the most the chief
has seen since he took over in October 2004 -- the department is
finding it has to maximize its resources to address these types of
quality-of-life issues.

The department has 340 officers, with the Traffic Division and
Community Impact Unit down several officer positions.