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.
Councilman Torrance Harvey, standing, drew a tie between ending crime and economic vitality
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,” Kennedy said. “Children just don’t start shooting each other when they are 15, 16 and 17-years-old.”
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,” Cameron 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,” Harvey said. “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. We have approximately 70 percent of our residents that are renters compared to 30 percent that are homeowners.”
The city council scheduled another special session to address crime on Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m.
