The barricades came down Monday from one Harrisburg city street that Mayor Linda Thompson says has been riddled with gunfire and violence.
The problem in the uptown neighborhood isn't new according to the mayor. She says it's been that way for years.
But calls to her office Friday afternoon following a barrage of gunfire had her take the unprecedented action.
Friday evening the street was barricaded. Police were permanently assigned. If you didn't live there, you didn't get by. The barricades came down late this morning and police left the neighborhood.
Fearing retaliation, residents did not appear on camera. But the mayor said she got phone calls Monday.
One neighbor said it was so quiet, he heard crickets chirping. A mother said kids were able to toss a football in the street. Another claimed to have slept all night.
The question is how long will the neighborhood remain calm and will the trouble return?
The mayor noted that the police force is down 20 officers. She said with increased citizen participation the department can still make a dent in the crime problem.
The mayor says taping off a street isn't the only tactic to stopping crime. But she's not yet ready to identify any other possible police actions. She did say she will meet this week with the Dauphin County District Attorney and other law enforcement officials to develop other strategies to address crime in the city's beleaguered neighborhoods.
The problem in the uptown neighborhood isn't new according to the mayor. She says it's been that way for years.
But calls to her office Friday afternoon following a barrage of gunfire had her take the unprecedented action.
Friday evening the street was barricaded. Police were permanently assigned. If you didn't live there, you didn't get by. The barricades came down late this morning and police left the neighborhood.
Fearing retaliation, residents did not appear on camera. But the mayor said she got phone calls Monday.
One neighbor said it was so quiet, he heard crickets chirping. A mother said kids were able to toss a football in the street. Another claimed to have slept all night.
The question is how long will the neighborhood remain calm and will the trouble return?
The mayor noted that the police force is down 20 officers. She said with increased citizen participation the department can still make a dent in the crime problem.
The mayor says taping off a street isn't the only tactic to stopping crime. But she's not yet ready to identify any other possible police actions. She did say she will meet this week with the Dauphin County District Attorney and other law enforcement officials to develop other strategies to address crime in the city's beleaguered neighborhoods.