Springfield Police Chief addresses string of gun violence and more at city council meeting

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – The Springfield Police Chief addressed a recent string of gun violence at the city council Monday night.

Officers are investigating three fatal shootings in the past week.

The chief says the recent shootings are not random, but the concern is still there.

“There is concern about an element in our society that hadn’t been there in the past that is growing,” said Chief Paul Williams. “We’re doing our best to keep a lid on it and take those people off the streets, but we really need the community to step up and be aware,” said Williams.

Back-to-back homicides are tragically hurting those in the Springfield area, with four deaths in just the last week.

Chief Williams says it’s going to take more eyes and community involvement to fix the problem.

Williams says the number of gun thefts from vehicles is down compared to last year and that the staffing shortage continues to be a problem.

“If we get 60 more officers, we’ll be able to ramp back up and provide more folks on the investigative side,” said Williams.

At the end of the night, he again echoed how important it is for you to say something if you see something.

“The community needs to step up and help us to prevent gun violence, and they can’t just depend on the police for them to respond after the fact.”

For the full community crime report, click HERE.

The three fatal shootings:

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