From the Radio Free Michigan archives ftp://141.209.3.26/pub/patriot If you have any other files you'd like to contribute, e-mail them to bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu. ------------------------------------------------ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Associated Press 12/19/94 SWAT teams will patrol Fresno streets --------------------------------------- By Joe Bigham (copied without permission) Fresno- Special Weapons and Tactics officers carrying assault weapons will start patrolling Fresno streets immediately to stop rapidly rising violence, including several attacks on children and police, Chief Ed Winchester announced yesterday. Thirty SWAT officers, gang suppression and K-9 units will form a new violent crime suppression unit that will begin operations this weekend in 10-member teams. "There has been one violent incident-- one shootout-- in the City of Fresno every three days," Winchester told reporters. Three young children have been wounded in the past three weeks, including an 8-year old boy doing homework at his kitchen table and an 11-year old girl shot five times outside a home Thursday night. Thirteen people have been killed and 63 wounded since May in violence blamed on gangs or drug dealers, Winchester added. Shots have been fired at officers 11 times during that period. "The people oare outraged," the chief said of the mood in this Central California farming community of 400,000 residents. "This is out of control; this has to stop." Winchester added that citizens "are tired of bullet holes shot into their homes, into cars. Not only are they tearing up home and cars, but human bodies." The violence suppression unit will patrol high-crime areas in cars and on foot, wearing SWAT camouflage fatigues and bullet-resistant vests and armed with HK 53-caliber assault rifles and police revolvers. The unit will operate at least until April, when Winchester hopes to make it permanent. Asked if some citizens might not fear having such heavily armed officers on the streets, Winchester responded: "Would they prefer criminals carrying these kinds of weapons of rather highly trained officers carrying these kinds of weapons?" The chief said officers have been instructed to stay within the law as they try to improve the safety of neighborhoods by removing violent criminals and weapons. "I made it clear to all members of the team that they must operate within the Constitution and within department policy and state law governing arrests and detention," Winchester said. ------------------------------------------------ (This file was found elsewhere on the Internet and uploaded to the Radio Free Michigan archives by the archive maintainer. All files are ZIP archives for fast download. E-mail bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu)