Gulfport police chief out to cut down crime in his city
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) – A police roundup that netted two felony arrests, nine misdemeanor arrests and eight served warrants in Gulfport may seem insignificant in the scheme of crimes.
However, Police Chief Leonard Papania tells The Sun Herald on Wednesday it’s part of a plan to reduce violent crime and short-circuit what he calls the criminal subculture.
The city’s violent-crime numbers, except for robberies, are down since January compared with the same period last year.
Papania started periodic roundups to deal with violent crimes a year ago when he launched a campaign against the city’s criminal subculture — those who embrace a lifestyle of crime and violence.
