00:00The lockdown in Maloney comes amid heightened police efforts to confront gang violence,
00:06but not all residents are welcoming the restrictions.
00:10President of the association, ASP Ishmael Pitt, is advising residents to work with officers
00:16and avoid actions that could escalate tensions.
00:20We are quite aware that the majority of residents within Maloney are law-abiding citizens,
00:26and it is very important that that cooperation is there,
00:31because we wouldn't want a case of, you know, we go in to treat with issues of criminality,
00:38and on completion, it's a case of you leaving a sour taste in a person's mouth
00:46as to the type of policing that was meted out because of that lack of cooperation,
00:51that lack of synergy, that lack of understanding.
00:54ASP Pitt acknowledges that crime remains a serious concern and says
00:59decisive action is necessary to address the threat posed by gangs.
01:04His comments come as the police commissioner has signaled
01:07that the Special Operations Act may be invoked in response to escalating gang violence.
01:13Gang offenses are not easily addressed,
01:18and I see that within the context of it's not a today-for-tomorrow issue,
01:24fly-by-night, cut-and-dry.
01:27In order to really treat with gang issues,
01:32there must be a systemic approach,
01:35and it must also involve other agencies external to the police service.
01:40Meanwhile, Pitt says officers are being trained to manage these operations,
01:46exercise restraint, and use only the level of force necessary.
01:50He's also cautioning members of the public
01:53against making malicious or knowingly false allegations of police misconduct,
01:58warning that such claims undermine legitimate accountability processes.
02:03At times, you know, persons themselves even abuse these channels,
02:08abuse these avenues in terms of making reports and making allegations
02:13that are unfounded, that are not true,
02:17and they tend to, at times, create a process where, you know,
02:23there are so many things that we are to sift through
02:26in order to really treat it to the issues that are really relevant
02:29and the issues that are really deserving of that type of attention.
02:34The lockdown in Maloney remains in effect
02:37with a curfew from 9pm to 5am.
02:40Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
