Holyoke Goes A Year Without A Murder For The First Time In Over 25 Years

There were no homicides in Holyoke Massachusetts in 2012. It is the first time the city has gone an entire calendar year without a murder in at least a quarter century.   WAMC”s Paul Tuthill reports

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Credit WAMC

Holyoke MA Police Chief James Neiswanger, with Mayor Alex Morse and police officials announces Holyoke completed a calender year without a violent murder for the first time in at least 25 years

Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse and Police Chief  James  Neiswanger  credit good police work, a crackdown on the drug trade, and the introduction of a mobile community policing unit as some of the reasons Holyoke has not had a homicide in more than 12 months. Morse said he wants the word to get out because public safety and economic development go hand in hand.

Holyoke had 4 homicides in 2011.  Springfield had 12 homicides last year, the fewest in a decade.