By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Police were praised Wednesday night for their efforts to fight crime even though some neighborhoods have been rattled by escalating violence.
About 50 people crowded into the department’s Osborn Room to attend Chief Clay Wheeler’s latest focus session.
Wheeler said crime has trended lower for the past 22 years, but the near west side has been hit recently by three serious crimes, including the shooting death in late October of Trevonte Kirkwood,27, in the 1300 block of North Oak Street.
Karen Kinsella owns property in the area, and pleaded for action during a city council meeting February 11. She’s encouraged what she heard from Wheeler on Wednesday about stepped up patrols. She wants to be part of the solution.
“What can we do as landlords as help our tenants in that neighborhood. My tenants want to help too,” Kinsella said.
Karen Irvin was one of five women wearing T-shirts that said, “Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense in America.”
“I learned that there are a lot of people in our community that are going to work on this issue, and are interested in this issue,” said Irvin.
“‘Mom’s Demand Action’ is just one of those groups that going to try to be more supportive of the other groups in the community,” Irvin also said.
Chief Wheeler called on churches and others to reach out to as many young people as possible. Wheeler said kids need positive things to do so they don’t wind up with the wrong crowd.
“If you feel like there’s no positive future for you, then you’re not concerned about the bad things that might happen if you make bad choices,” Wheeler said.
“You just do what’s good for you in the moment, and you don’t worry about the future because you don’t think you really have one.”
So far this year, police have investigated five incidents of gunfire, including Tuesday’s shooting in the 800 block of East Washington Street, in which three men were arrested for mob action.
BPD made arrests in eight of the nine murders that happened in the city last year. The only unsolved case was Kirkwood’s murder, and Wheeler is again asking for the public’s help in providing leads that might solve the case.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
