NEWBURGH – Law enforcement officials in Newburgh released a report of comprehensive crime data from 2018 on Thursday, showing significant declines in gun violence, as well as other violent crime within the city.
Areas such as number of shooting victims and aggravated assaults including firearms have decreased by approximately 50 percent in just the span of 2017-2018, while overall gun related crime has dropped approximately 40 percent.
Tactics such as “hot spot” policing, targeting specific areas of violent incidences, usage of the Shot Spotter system, community policing and implementation of the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) Program, were among those credited with the success from City of Newburgh Police Chief Douglas Solomon who said there are many moving parts in the advance of crime reduction within the city.
“It’s a multifaceted approach,” said Solomon. “It’s the GIVE Program. It’s Shot Spotter. It’s the camera system. It’s a variety of different things all coming together. It’s a complete package so to speak. So, it’s not just one thing, it’s a combination of several things all coming together to reduce crime.”
Mayor Torrance Harvey said the city is extremely pleased with the efforts of the police department and that this huge crime reduction is proof of revitalization within the city.
“This is a significant element to revitalization in the City of Newburgh,” said Harvey. “We are revitalizing this city, we are turning a corner and this crime report is evident of that- evident of that collective effort.” Chief Solomon said the department is, “…never sitting back,” and they are continuing to evolve and streamline their efforts toward further progress, including in areas like the GIVE Program and intradepartmental communication.
