‘We are going to embrace the things we may not be doing today': Mobile leaders stepping up after violent crime streak
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — After recent shootings in Mobile, city leaders are stepping up to find ways to prevent violent crime.
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Monday, a press conference was held at Sage Park, which is currently the center of a homicide investigation.
'I can assure you that we are going to continue to do the things we know to do and we're going to embrace things that we may not be doing today to get ahead of the senseless crime,' Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said.
This press conference comes after Saturday's violent encounter at the Publix in midtown Mobile, which sent a 74-year-old woman to the hospital after a man allegedly tried to steal money from her and then shot her.
The suspect was caught shortly after but suffered a medical emergency while detained. He has since been booked into Metro Jail.
'I'm sickened at what happened at Sage Park, but Publix is where I shop several times a week; the timing just didn't work out this weekend, or it would've ended differently,' Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said.
Mobile Police Department officials said they will be increasing patrols around Mobile, becoming more aggressive with closing parks on time and will continue to add security cameras and ensure they work.
Mobile Public Safety Director Rob Lasky said that the cameras near the basketball court where the Sage Park shooting happened were not recording.
He said the police department will be sending out a request for proposal for companies to help maintain security cameras. MPD is also working to take over 950 security cameras across Mobile.
'Cameras are not going to prevent an incident,' Lasky said. 'They're going to record what's going on. The camera is not going to stop a bullet; they're not going to stop a motivated criminal from committing a violent act; they're just going to record what happened.'
More help will be coming from the sheriff's office, and they will be extending their 42-man special operations unit anytime extra security is needed.
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The Mobile County District Attorney's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will also be working with local law enforcement as needed.
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