Post by WaTcHeR on Feb 26, 2007 12:53:35 GMT -5
Police in Cocoa, Fla., are under heightened alert after death threats were painted on homes identifying officers by name and listing targeted patrol car numbers.
Authorities said the threatening messages covered homes in the Barbara Jenkins Public Housing Unit located on Fiske Boulevard.
The messages promised that "all cops will cry" and said "we got guns too."
The fact that they mentioned that we all need to die and they have guns too, you can understand our response level will now be heightened," Cocoa police spokeswoman Barbara Jenkins.
"By printing the names of officers and their patrol car numbers, it is almost as if the thugs are declaring war," Local 6's Jessica Sanchez said.
"Our resistance to calls, our resistance to bad guys has just been raised a notch," Matthews said. "And we feel we have the right to do that because they have threatened our lives publicly and openly."
Officers said officers in the area have been shot at twice in the last six weeks."
Some residents said they are tired of the stigma that plagues their neighborhood.
"But, despite that attitude, no one bothered alerting police while the thugs took the time to knock down the fence and spend hours painting their messages and that upsets Cocoa police officers," Sanchez said.
"We're fighting to keep their streets clean and their streets safe, we're not doing it for ourselves, we're doing it for them," Matthews said. "And you can't pick up a phone and call us when this is happening? Shame on you."
www.local6.com/news/11103385/detail.html