Vellucci Asks War On Crime

Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci declared an "all out war on crime" because of the alleged influx of prostitutes and pimps into the Central Square area at last night's city council meeting.

"I believe the time has come, if we're truly going to stamp-out crime. We must cut out the cancer before it spreads," Vellucci said.

"If it's there, we're going to wipe it out," Vellucci said of the alleged criminal activities. "We're talking about Combat Zone activities in Central Square," he added.

Vellucci then delivered a speech calling for a reconsideration of a resolution that could create the post of a civilian police commissioner to supervise the police department. The city council rejected a similar motion last December.

The city council is scheduled to consider Vellucci's motion at its next meeting on May 9.

City Councilor Saundra Graham asked that the police department conduct a study determining the type of people who should be arrested. "I don't want to hear about kids being busted who aren't doing anything," Graham said.

Vellucci said an anonymous telephone caller had called him yesterday, saying there was a prostitution price war in Central Square. Last night he joked that he was going to put the prices in line.

Vellucci ordered a meeting for 9:30 a.m. today with himself, City Manager James L. Sullivan, acting police chief Nicholas Fratto, City Solicitor Russell B. Higley and any city councilors to organize the "war on crime."

The city council last night passed Vellucci's resolution calling for the postponement of action on a bill in Congress that may pre-empt and vacate all municipal and state laws about recombinant DNA research.

The resolution asks that Congress not act on the bill until the city council has received and studied copies of the bill.

The bill, one of six in Congress concerning recombinant DNA, was proposed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy '54 on behalf of the administration. The Bill preempts local option, City Councilor David Clem said last night.

"I feel very strongly that we should have local option on p-4 facilities," Clem said. P-4 designates research facilities with the highest level of containment. Harvard's recombinant DNA facility carries a p-3 designation.