MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — The Middletown Police Department is increasing its patrols in an attempt to decrease the violence the city has been seeing recently.
Middletown Police Chief Erik Costa said the department will be putting officers in every corner of the city to gain trust within the community and keep an eye on areas with higher crime rates.
Costa told FOX61 that Middletown is a generally safe city, so any uptick in crime is alarming. Some of those crimes include a 16-year-old getting shot on Ferry Street, another unrelated shooting on Westfield Street, and two unrelated robberies on two different days on Washington Street.
Before it continues to get worse, police have created a plan that would ensure people are being held accountable for their actions, according to Costa. The plan includes placing officers on the streets on foot, bikes, and motorcycles for the summer months in order to have the officers more accessible and present.
Costa said their goal is to make their officers approachable to anyone who may need them.
“I indicated all four corners of the town would be covered,” Costa said. “That means we aren’t just doing Main Street and the north ends, that means we are going to West Lake and the south end, cover the city in totality, to ensure we are approachable and building relationships to solve crimes faster and more efficiently be a safer city.”
The chief said the best tip to remember is "if you see something say something"; he said it is important for officers to know of any potential wrongdoing so they can stop violence before it happens.
“It makes me feel more safe. I don’t want to get into any kind of trouble. I haven’t had much trouble in Connecticut but I’m feeling good about it,” said Keith Moya, who works in Middletown. He told FOX61 he has heard about the recent crime and is happy to know something proactive is being done.
Brooke Griffin is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at bgriffin@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Brooke Griffin is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at bgriffin@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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