Aberdeen Mayor S. Fred Simmons has taken a unique approach to cleaningup drug activity and crime in the city ? he does it himself.
Almost on a daily basis, he takes to the streets of Aberdeen, accompanied by a police officer, and makes it known to criminals and drug dealers that they aren?t welcome in Aberdeen.
“The community needs to come together, and when they see me out there, they start realizing this can be done,” Simmons said.
Since becoming mayor in November, Simmons almost immediately linked up with Aberdeen Police Chief Randy Rudy and set up these “rides” and “walks” through some of the city?s tougher neighborhoods.
“It?s easy for the mayor to see the needs [of the city] … when he?s out there where the rubber meets the road,” Rudy said.
Rudy said the value in his tours of the city with Simmons are immense, as he no longer has to deal with the politics associated with getting his agency the resources it needs.
In a tour Monday afternoon, Simmons and Rudy took a stroll down Washington Street in Hillsdale. The interaction between Aberdeen residents and Simmons and Rudy was varied.
Some residents welcomed their presence and came out and talked about getting more lights on Washington Street.
At one particular Washington Street house ? raided later that night by Aberdeen police based on information about drug activity ? the residents immediately went inside once Simmons and Rudy were seen walking down the road.
And Simmons doesn?t stop with letting criminals on the streets know they are not welcome. He sometimes dons a bullet-proof vest and accompanies Aberdeen police on drug raids.
“[A week ago Thursday], we hit two houses ? one on Center Deen [Road], and then simultaneously we hit a house on Pritchard [Avenue]. And in doing so we found out about a crack house on Rogers [Street], and by the time we got there, [the drug dealers] had vacated,” Simmons said.
Word spread of the raid so quickly, Simmons said that the drug dealers in the Rogers Street house left before police could take down the operation.
This is what Simmons said he is after. He wants criminals in Aberdeen to be so uncomfortable that they move around and eventually leave.
“I?m not giving up an inch of the city,” Simmons said.
As to keeping Simmons safe on his outings with police, Rudy said, “we take necessary precautions, but I am not going to say what those precautions are.”
To this end, Simmons also has a concealed-weapons permit and carries his own Colt .45 automatic with him in case he encounters a hostile situation during one of his walks.
