POUGHKEEPSIE – “The citizens of this city are rightly concerned about the recent spate of crimes,” said Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik, leading off a news conference at City Hall on Friday.
Mayor Tkazyik, podium, accompanied by Common Council members, police officials, county legislators
and agency representatives
“I’m the mayor and it is happening on my watch,” the mayor conceded. “And it makes me angry that we have not been able to rid this city of the scourge of violence that has long been a cancer on our city.”
Following a 24-day stretch in which there were seven shootings, two resulting in death, Tkazyik outlined new steps that are being taken. Included are:
Continuing the increased foot patrols that began two weeks ago, with assigning more high-visibility police officers to specific high-crime areas
Immediately reactivating the civilian patrol program, with recruitment and training. They will be trained to look for situations and conditions that create a likely environment for crime.
Look for new funding sources for anti-violence programs
Reach out to other area law enforcement for assistance in developing additional resources.
The enhanced police effort has the full support of Police Chief Ronald Knapp.
“Because as we all know, getting one person off the street results in a lot of crimes not being committed,” said Knapp.
City officials are hoping that the coming round of COPS grant funding might enable the city to put five more officers on the beat. Last year, the city’s application ranked fourth in the region, missing the cut by one. That, officials hope, would mean being at the top of the list this year.
Executive Director of the Family Partnership Center, Brian Doyle, stressed the importance of prevention efforts aimed at at-risk youth, as a key part of the deterrence formula. For several years, the city has sought funding for the city’s Phoenix Project, a program designed to specifically address violence and bullying among youth. Doyle said they now are getting some help.
Retired police officer Robert Rolison, a Republican candidate for mayor and who is presently chairman of the Dutchess County Legislature, attended Friday’s event representing County Executive Marcus Molinaro who could not attend because of a personal commitment.
“What we need to do as a county in partnership with the city is to increase what we’re already doing,” Rolison said. “We have joint anti-gun initiatives, anti-gun units in the city going after gun crime. We need to bolster those efforts to put more police on the streets in our neighborhoods.”
Kenneth Levinson, a Democrat candidate for mayor, called the stepped up effort “too little, too late.”
Whitaker: “… a relationship
of distrust”
Also believing the enhanced emphasis on a more visible police presence misses the point is resident Melissa Whittaker.
“I think that the police department needs to foster a relationship with the community so that the community itself could do community policing because recently, especially with police brutality happening other places and the fact that there is no relationship between the police department and the community, there’s a relationship of distrust.”
Whittaker is part of a group organizing a rally and march in central Poughkeepsie Saturday afternoon.
Tkazyik said bringing police and people together in a relationship based on trust is critical
“I also ask the people of this city to assist law enforcement community in any way that they can,” the mayor appealed. “To coin a phrase, ‘if you see something, say something’. The eyes of our officers cannot be everywhere. The eyes of our citizens must also be on alert, for the sake of this community, and the safety of those who live here.”
