Franklin mayor backs chief's efforts on gun violence

FRANKLIN -- Mayor Eugene Foulcard has a message for those who think new Police Chief Cedric Handy is doing his job too well in getting the senseless gun violence the city has seen under control: This is just the beginning.

Handy is in his first month as police chief, and Foulcard said he’s heard rumblings from some who are unhappy that the chief is cracking down on violent crime.

“It has come to my attention that a small number of people have been unhappy with Chief Handy and myself with the number of arrests that have happened in the last 30 days,” the mayor said in his executive report to the City Council at its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 16. “We’re not playing any games. Apparently they disapprove of Chief Handy doing his job too well. And I’m hearing a recall petition may be started to remove me from office. I was just re-elected last year, unopposed. So, if I’m to be removed from office for Chief Handy doing a wonderful job and dropping the hammer on some of the things going on, you can have at it.”

Foulcard said he’s never been afraid of an election.

“I’ve always felt like government works best when it’s closest to the people,” he said. “Chief Handy is making some changes within the police department. Those who don’t like it, you can move on. I’ve said that publicly a couple of years ago, and I’m very unapologetic about that even tonight.

“I am fired up about what is going on in our community, the senseless gun violence, the unlawfulness that goes on. It is just not right. It is inhumane, some of the things that I’ve witnessed recently. And I know Chief Handy (feels the same) as well.”

Foulcard’s message was met with approval from a crowd of 20 or so people attending the city council meeting.

“So I would respond publicly, if you’re upset that Chief Handy is doing his job to get the senseless acts of gun violence and senseless acts of lawlessness under control, then I say to you, this is just the beginning,” Foulcard said to a round of applause. “Myself, along with the citizens of Franklin, are fed up. Just know that if you choose to fire a gun or create havoc in the city of Franklin, we are coming for you."

Foulcard said he prayed before presenting Handy to the council to be ratified as police chief, and thanks God for the chief and his staff who are working hard to bring crime under control.

“We have three unsolved murders in Franklin that I’m not very happy about,” Foulcard said. “We have other things that are going on that I’m not very happy about, and I thank you, Chief Handy, for the things that you have been very bold and bodacious about that have to be done.

“I’m not afraid of my community, and I’m not afraid of a few small, select group of folks that feel like they can run me and Chief Handy out of Franklin. We’re both broad-shouldered men. We’re not going anywhere. I’m just not as tall as Chief Handy, but I think our hearts are just as big.”
Foulcard said he was disappointed at some of the things going on in town, so he had to get that off his chest.

“I apologize for my bluntness, but I’m not apologizing for what this man has been doing and will be doing to bring things under control in our community,” he said. “We have to feel safe in our community. We have to know that we can sit on our front porch, have a cup of coffee, or walk the streets without fear of gun play or gun violence. We have a young lady that was killed in St. Joseph, riding in the back seat of a car, from what I understand. That is not right.”

Handy addressed the council as well concerning the juvenile curfew in the town for the summer, which is already being enforced and will continue to be enforced during the school break.

The ordinance states that curfew is from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. on any Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. On any Friday and Saturday, juvenile curfew is from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m.

Parents can be cited for their children breaking the curfew, he said. While some parents work at night, making it hard for them to keep tabs on their kids.
But if it’s a juvenile involved in gun violence, he said, you can be sure the parents will be cited.

Councilman Lester Levine had introduced the item on the agenda, as he does annually, to make sure residents are aware of the juvenile curfew.

Levine said that sometimes with parents working at night, kids think people aren’t watching them.

“I know the things we do at the recreation department center, we have games early enough to get you back home,” Levine said. “We start at 5, we’re over by 9 o’clock.
There’s nowhere in Franklin it takes you two hours to get home. If you walk on back, you can get home in an hour.”

Levine said he knows Handy is setting the right tone, and appreciates the chief’s willingness to cite parents if need be for their kids breaking the juvenile curfew.
Handy also said he’s fielded calls from people wanting to know what he’s going to do about crime in the city.

First comes saturation patrolling, with more patrol officers riding around all day.

“If their windows are not down, I have a problem with that,” Handy said. “If they’re not waving and driving slow, instead of speeding up, I have a problem. If you’re sitting on your porch and they don’t stop and have a conversation with you, I have a problem with that. These are the things that I want to put in place because that’s called community policing.”