Lockport Police Chief Larry Eggert talks with city residents about a recent outbreak of gun crimes in the city. About 50 people attended tonight's meeting at City Hall. (PHOTOS BY HEATHER N. GRIMMER / CONTRIBUTOR)

Police chief asks residents to report what they see

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news@eastniagarapost.com

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Lockport Police Chief Larry Eggert asked the public for help in preventing and solving crimes in the city at a meeting tonight in City Hall.

Eggert was joined by Capt. Doug Haak, Capt. Mike Niethe and Community Police Aide Mark Sanders in a question and answer session with about 50 city residents that lasted more than 90 minutes.

"We should be solving these things left and right," Eggert told the crowd. But a lack of communication from city residents — including the victims of the crimes — has tied the department's hands.

In discussing a shooting earlier this year on Walnut Street, Eggert said "We actually know who did that but we can't get the victims to be victims."

Another incident that happened on June 10 involved a man who was shot but wouldn't tell police who did the shooting or even where it occurred.

One positive that the chief pointed out was that these acts of violence are not random.

"They're targeting the people that they want to shoot because they have a dispute with them," he said. As such the odds of the average city resident being shot are incredibly low.

Community Policing Aide Mark Sanders talks to the crowd at tonight's meeting in City Hall. Sanders said the city does not have a gang problem.

Despite the uptick in violence in the city, Eggert and Sanders said they're certain it isn't gang related.

One of the meeting's attendees said she'd heard of a gang called "RNO" working the city.

Sanders said he's familiar with "RNO," but referring to them as a gang would be a misnomer. "We don't have a gang problem. We have a problem with misguided young people. ... We've been looking for (gang activity). I've been looking for it."

Maria Updegraph, who said she lives in the "Impact Zone" — a high-crime area being targeted by LPD between Walnut and High, Transit and Erie streets — asked Eggert why the department didn't patrol on foot any more.

"We need you guys to be physically there," she said. "No one's going to care if you guys are in the car. They're not scared."

She also suggested starting a Neighborhood Watch group in the area.

Eggert liked both ideas and noted that he was in charge of the Neighborhood Watch program in the 1990s when there were as many as 20 such groups in the city.

"Once the criminals see that ... they're going to go someplace else," Eggert said.

One woman told Eggert that she felt calling LPD was pointless, saying that a couple years ago she called to report a crime and was told that the police department didn't service her neighborhood anymore because "there's too much going on there."
Police Board President Tate Pitrello said after the meeting that Eggert hit the nail on the head, saying communication between the police department and city residents is key to stemming the tide of violence in the city. Pitrello said he was impressed with the meeting and glad to see people speak up.

Former Police Board President James Gugliuzza concurred with Pitrello's assessment.

Also in attendance were Mayor Anne McCaffrey and members of the Common Council including Joe Kibler, Pat Schrader, John Lombardi. City Building Inspector Jason Dool was also on hand.

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