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JAMESTOWN, NY (WNY News Now) — Public safety fears continue nearly a month after a brawl and subsequent stabbing in Jamestown, with neighbors speaking out with continued concerns about local youth who are out of control.
A resident who lives just houses away from where a fight broke out between minors last month on Park Street in Jamestown, is seeking answers from our local public safety committee about what can be done to stop the violence.
“There was fighting in the streets, they were yelling back and forth, chasing people up and down the roads,“ explained resident Kathy Sharp. “And they ended up stabbing a couple people. The police were called a couple different times. The neighbors are concerned for their safety.”
Her solution, to keep Jamestown’s youth busy.
“Perhaps making some kind of programs available for them,“ stated Sharp. “Community service, or there’s elderly people in the city that could use help. Some programs through the school systems.”
For many, going outdoors is petrifying.
“They’re concerned for their own safety,“ explained Sharp. “There are some people up there that are in their 70s and 80s, and they don’t dare come out of their homes. Several nights they just stay locked behind their doors, afraid of what’s going on in the neighborhood.
Jamestown Police Captain Robert Samuelson said that since the initial incident a few juveniles have been arrested. However, the investigation is still ongoing.
For now, local lawmakers say to keep an eye out for more trouble.
“You and I have talked several times that the squeaky wheels get the oil, and don’t hesitate to advise your neighbors to call 911 when it’s happening,“ stated Councilman Bill Reynolds. “Request for more patrols.”
“We’ve discussed it,” explained Sharp. “There’s been people interested in getting a neighborhood watch again going in the area.”
The Police Captain believes that a Neighborhood Watch program would be very effective, and continues to say that a previous program had worked exceptionally in that neighborhood in the past.
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