MIDDLETOWN – The City of Middletown, unlike Newburgh and Poughkeepsie, has less gun violence so that translates into less state aid in the Gun-Involved Violence Elimination program.
In Middletown, Police Chief Ramon Bethencourt said their allocation for year-two of the program is down to just over $15,000.
“We actually don’t have the type of gun violence that would designate us to receive higher funding, and our funding has actually decreased based upon the numbers of gun violence in the city based upon the numbers of gun violence in the city provided to the (state) Department of Criminal Justice Services,” Bethencourt said. Violent crime is down significantly on a five-year average and in particular, gun violence has decreased, reducing funding in the program.
Weeks don’t go by that illegal guns are not removed from the streets in Newburgh and Poughkeepsie.
Gallagher critical of Ulster EDA
April 20, 2024
