After three people, including a 9-year-old girl, were shot in broad daylight outside a pizzeria located at the intersection of Palisades Avenue and Elm Street on Friday, June 13, City officials are taking a closer look at the Elm Street area, which has historically been known as a hub of crime, particularly gang activity.
The area is associated with a notorious gang called the Elm Street Wolves gang, known colloquially as the Wolves. It additionally has seen a number of shootings, stabbings (1, 2, 3) and brothel activity in recent years.
Police spokesman Lt. Patrick McCormack said while there is no sign of the shooting being gang related, it is still a distinct possibility.
"We face a number of crime issues in that area," he said.
He said he could not disclose any in-depth information on police procedures, but stressed that police presence, both uniformed and plain clothes, would be substantially increased.
"The fourth precinct has been targeting the area, but we're adding a substantial presence of officers," he said. "Between that, and the plan the Commissioner is coming up with to address issues like quality of life and up, hopefully we're going to effectively attack the issue."
There was also a stabbing on Elm Street on Sunday, June 15, but McCormack said the incident was a private, unrelated matter in a different area.
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