Center, Timothy Jackson, Jamestown Police Department chief and city public safety director, speaks during a city news conference announcing the additional hiring of three police officers and four firefighters. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

The city’s plan to combat rising gun violence and the EMS crisis is now known.

On Monday, Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist; Anthony Dolce, Jamestown City Council president; members of the council Public Safety Committee; Timothy Jackson, Jamestown Police chief and city public safety director; and Matthew Coon, deputy fire chief; held a joint press conference to discuss ongoing public safety concerns.

Sundquist announced that the city will be hiring three new police officers and four new firefighters using American Rescue Plan Act funds. He said the new police officers will be used to create a gun violence unit and the four new firefighters will be used to operate a second EMS ambulance. He added last year there were 19 confirmed gun shootings, with seven already occurring this year. Also, he said 90 guns were confiscated by the police last year, which was more than double the 2020 total. He said, so far this year, 25 guns have been confiscated.

“We as a city have not been immune to this issue,” he said about the rise in city gun violence.

Sundquist said the investment into the new personnel and ambulance will total in the millions and would not be possible without ARPA funds. He said the total figures on how much the plan will cost the city have not been finalized yet.

Jackson said along with working with local police departments, the city is also working with the FBI on a federal level. He said, at times depending on the case, that by working with the FBI, the Jamestown Police Department can bypass the state’s bail reform laws to ensure dangerous criminals aren’t just issued an appearance ticket for a future court date.

Jackson said most of the gun violence incidents that have occurred in the city don’t involve local residents and the drug trade.

“We are using everything at our disposal to combat gun violence,” he said.

As for finding new public safety officials, Jackson said there are plenty of applicants on the civil service list to fill the positions for both the police and fire departments.

Bent Sheldon, Ward 1 councilman and Public Safety Committee chairman, said the majority of the council is on board with hiring the new personnel. During the press conference, Sheldon and Dolce were joined by Jeff Russell, At-Large councilman; Randy Daversa, At-Large councilman; William Reynolds III, Ward 5 councilman; and Andrew Faulkner, Ward 6 councilman.

Dolce said that after the ARPA funds are used, city officials will work toward gaining grant funding to keep the new public safety officials that will be hired.

Reynolds asked city residents to do their part to report suspicious behavior to the police department’s TIPS line at 716-483-8477.