Holyoke's chief worried about future

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - Up until Sunday morning, the city of Holyoke had gone over a year without a homicide.

Specifically, the last time someone was violently killed in this Western Massachusetts town was June 3rd, 2008.

Veteran Holyoke Police Chief Anthony Scott says he literally doesn't remember a time when the paper city went more than a year with no homicide. He says breaking that landmark, especially this year during these tight fiscal times, is a real accomplishment for the city.

But, Chief Scott says not a day goes by that he doesn't *worry* about what the future holds for safety in the city.  With dozens of locally and state funded policing programs on the chopping block due to the recession, the chief just isn't sure how Holyoke will be able to maintain this type of progress with less cash.

The Chief is especially concerned about the possibility of losing crucial Shannon Grants for community policing efforts. Scott says he should know pretty soon what the extent of the budget cuts will be where public safety in Holyoke is concerned.