HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -
Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson wanted to shut down the drug use and violence that was happening at one Uptown neighborhood, so she ended up shutting down an entire block that has become a hot-spot for trouble.
On Friday evening the mayor announced that police would be setting up a blockade of Curtin Street and two adjoining alleys at Seneca and Emerald Streets at 6th Street in order to break up drug and gun-related activities in the area.
Police put barricades around the area and only let residents in.
Thompson said that police have gotten at least 15 calls in the last thirty days about violence in that area.
She blasted the people involved, which she said were teenagers coming into the neighborhoods.
"They're cowards," Thompson said. "Anyone that carries an illegal gun and then shoots a person in cold blood is a coward. When I grew up we didn't act like cowards. And I am not going to tolerate this kind of brazen violence in our neighborhoods."
She was also asking the residents to help police make these areas safer.
"I'm asking neighbors to stop the silence and begin to take down the tag numbers of these cars that come in these neighborhoods. Make sure you take pictures of these people who come into your neighborhoods and sit on vacant properties and house themselves and then when they get high they go berserk."
We talked with a couple of residents, who were skeptical that things would get any better.
"Nope. I think it's going to get worse," said one young lady who didn't want to be identified.
"It happens every day, all day. This is life up here."
The mayor said she is looking to change that.
"I grew up in this section of town. And we're going to put the perpetrators on notice that we will not tolerate this."
