SAGINAW (WJRT) -
(07/23/12) - Three young men are dead after two shooting incidents in Saginaw
over the weekend.
Three other people were also injured by gunfire as police continue to search
for leads.
A member of the city's public safety committee is critical of the way city
leaders are handling the escalating violence and says it's time to start hiring
more police officers.
Saginaw has two budgeted openings in its police department right now, and the
public safety committee member has this question for city manager Darnell Earley;
what are you waiting for?
Saginaw Police are investigating two more murder scenes, one on North Second
Avenue. Two men, cousins, 19 and 20 years old, were shot to death in a car on
Saturday. Later that day, another man, 20 years old, found shot on a porch
in the 1900 block of Cherry. Saginaw Police Detective Sergeant Brent Vanderhaar
says the city's eight detectives are working on these cases, and several other
unsolved shootings.
"Working hard, working harder than we should with the numbers we have, we are
able to keep up as much as we can with the investigation," says Vanderhaar.
"Its demonstratively clear that we cannot police the city of Saginaw with
less officers," says public safety committee member Jimmy Greene.
Greene is one of 17 people on a committee looking at changes to how public
safety operates in Saginaw. A recommendation is due in September, but Greene
says its time to take action now.
"You've got people, it's 90 degrees outside and most people are locked in
their homes," Greene says.
Greene is upset that the city hasn't hired more police officers. City manager
Darnell Earley cut the police budget to 91 officers, but it's operating with
less than that. Greene says no one at city hall is showing leadership in dealing
with the shootings.
"Leadership, is in those communities, talking to people, holding hands,
telling them, we got it, no one is in those communities saying, we got it,"
Greene said.
He says the city needs to start looking at shifting financial resources to
get more police officers on the streets right now.
"Clearly saving money shouldn't be the first thing on our minds, it should be
saving lives,' Greene says.
We were told Darnell Earley was not available for comment on this story.
