The recent tragic, yet unrelated, shootings of a four-year-old boy and several adults and a two-year-old girl in our city are real reminders that violence is increasing, and must be stopped.
Community leaders, along with the mayor, the district attorneys and the police commissioner, need to convene to attempt to come up with a solution that will stop this spike in gun violence and other crimes.
We need to see more of a police presence on foot, so that they are more visible throughout the city. We should also have more mounted patrols, along with an increased squad car presence.
The citizens of this city are entitled to have decent protection and should not have to be in constant fear about being assaulted, robbed or shot. The police department needs to hire more officers and the budget for such an undertaking should be increased, not decreased.
John Amato
Fresh Meadows
