NEWBURGH – Some 50 residents of Newburgh came together Saturday
to explore ways of solving the city’s ongoing violence. The session
was called as an emergency meeting of the city council.
In the last few weeks, one man was shot to death on the street and another
man was severely beating at his apartment.
Mayor Judy Kennedy said the efforts to stave off violence must be addressed
at a young age.
“The government isn’t raising our children; that’s just
how it is. Children just don’t start shooting each other when they
are 15, 16 and 17-years-old,” she said.
Councilman Torrance Harvey, standing, explains the economics of
crime
Police Chief Daniel Cameron said the group mentality, “peer pressure”
is what drives the violence for young people who don’t have secure
families.
“That’s what drives the violence are these groups and we are
doing everything we can and I am very confident this year with everything
we have set up with the police department to address these groups, that
they are going to be dismantled,” he said.
City Councilman Torrance Harvey, a social studies teacher, said crime
is the greatest problem facing Newburgh and its future.
“If we can address the crime element, especially violent crime,
then that is going to turn the corner for economic stimulus. That is going
to turn the corner for new home ownership in the City of Newburgh, which
will help balance out the homeowner-to-renter ratio that we have currently,”
he said. “We have approximately 70 percent of our residents that
are renters compared to 30 percent that are homeowners.”
The city council has scheduled another special session to address crime
on Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m.
