Fighting Crime in Longview

LONGVIEW — City and county officials gathered at a Longview news conference to discuss a joint effort against crime which has rocked the city. Mayor Andy Mack said it is but a handful of people who are causing the problem. According to the mayor, “We don’t have a crime or a homicide problem in Longview. We have a gang and a drug problem and we’re going to stop it.” He said the issue is serious and they are taking it seriously. Longview has had a record-high 12 homicides this year. Longview police chief Mike Bishop said over the past few weeks they have had “extra patrols, extra units and extra personnel on the streets to deal with the gang and drug problem.” He said over that period they have made several key arrests and that Longview has been noticeably quieter.