Ernesto Cruz announced his is a candidate for one five at large seats on the Springfield City Council.
SPRINGFIELD— A political organizer and activist said he would fight to restore the Springfield Police Commission and reinstate Community Policing on Springfield streets if he is elected an at large Springfield City Councilor.
Ernesto Cruz announced his candidacy Friday night in front of a crowd of 200 supporters at the Cedars Banquet Hall, saying it's important to bring real solutions to public safety and other issues in the city.
"It's not about getting tougher on crime," he said. "We've done that. It's about getting smarter on crime."
Cruz said crime fighting starts with effective management and administration, something he said is needed at the Springfield Police Department.
"This is about public safety," Cruz said. "A lot of candidates talk about reducing crime but few actually propose real plans to address it. Bringing back the Police Commission breaks up some of the power in the Police Department. No one individual should have the kind of power the Police Commissioner does now. This is affecting the management of the Police Department, and the police are telling me they want improved administration. At the same time the community is calling for accountability within the Police Department. This is a solution that will improve both these situations."
Cruz advocates reintroducing and expanding after-school programs across the city and developing better marketing for the programs already in place.
As a lifelong resident of Springfield, Cruz has served on a number of community committees and groups, including being a board member of the Maple High/Six Corners Neighborhood Council, a member of the Ward 3 Democratic Committee, the Mason Square Drug Free Coalition, the Undoing Racism Organizing Collective and a mentor with Men of Color Health Awareness. He was the Western Mass. Field Organizer for the Ed Markey for U.S. Senate Campaign.
Cruz said Friday the city's environmental health needs immediate attention.
"Springfield has some of the worst air quality in the country," he said. "Our asthma rates are astronomical and our children and seniors are most at risk. We need to continue to fight against new polluters in the city, and we need to work with existing polluters to reduce their impact of our public health."
Cruz said his candidacy is also about improving public participation in governance, and building community input in the decision making process.
"I've worked hard my entire life," he said. "I started out as a janitor. I worked as a lot manager for a small car dealership. I worked 16 hours a day for the Markey campaign. I'm ready to do that for the City of Springfield. This campaign is about bringing back a substantive debate to city politics. We need to be introducing real solutions to the problems our city faces."