Garden Hills Patrol
Updated: June 27, 2007
Champaign police say officers working a special detail in the Garden Hills area helped during Sunday's standoff. The program, Community Assisted Team, or "CAT" targets the area east of Mattis, north of Bradley and south of Bloomington Road.
Neighbors living here in the area say crime has become part of their lives. " I'm just trying to watch a movie with my kids, and we heard gunshots, yea that's scary, you want to cut your lights off and get down," says resident Curtis Banks. He is talking about a double shooting last month behind his house.
Just on Sunday, Police swarmed his neighborhood after a car chase turned into a hostage situation. Detectives eventually arrested Torriano Johnson. No one was hurt during the cross town crimespree. Police say they got to the scene faster because extra officers were already in the area. It's part of a neighborhood partnership called CAT. Lieutenant Scott Swan says, " they're whole concentration is to get out meet people handle all calls of service and try to see what's going on."
Four officers form the CAT team. They focus just in that area, hoping to build relationships and cut down on the recent violence. " This isn't a situation where we can arrest ourselves out of, it's a situation that we kinda have to get one step forward and kinda analyze the problem," adds Swan.
It seems to be working. At least three cops on the CAT team responded to the chase and hostage standoff. No one was hurt during the crime spree, and neighbors say they're glad for the extra security outside their doors.
The program will run for 90 days. Police and neighbors will re-evaluate it once that trial period is done.
As for the other patrols. Police say the officers pulled out for this special team won't affect regular patrols
Neighbors living here in the area say crime has become part of their lives. " I'm just trying to watch a movie with my kids, and we heard gunshots, yea that's scary, you want to cut your lights off and get down," says resident Curtis Banks. He is talking about a double shooting last month behind his house.
Just on Sunday, Police swarmed his neighborhood after a car chase turned into a hostage situation. Detectives eventually arrested Torriano Johnson. No one was hurt during the cross town crimespree. Police say they got to the scene faster because extra officers were already in the area. It's part of a neighborhood partnership called CAT. Lieutenant Scott Swan says, " they're whole concentration is to get out meet people handle all calls of service and try to see what's going on."
Four officers form the CAT team. They focus just in that area, hoping to build relationships and cut down on the recent violence. " This isn't a situation where we can arrest ourselves out of, it's a situation that we kinda have to get one step forward and kinda analyze the problem," adds Swan.
It seems to be working. At least three cops on the CAT team responded to the chase and hostage standoff. No one was hurt during the crime spree, and neighbors say they're glad for the extra security outside their doors.
The program will run for 90 days. Police and neighbors will re-evaluate it once that trial period is done.
As for the other patrols. Police say the officers pulled out for this special team won't affect regular patrols
