POUGHKEEPSIE – A teen bringing a gun to school. A teen stabs another teen. Allegations of excessive police force in dealing with incidents involving teenagers. News stories of that sort are beginning to be more common.
City officials had a lot to say about it at Monday night’s Poughkeepsie Common Council meeting, including Mayor Robert Rolison, whose one current focus is on providing a safe corridor for teens getting to and from school.
“We have dedicated additional resources starting this past Friday, police resources in and around the police dismissal corridor,” Rolison said. “An additional four officers will be working there until the end of the school year. There was two meetings I’m aware of and another one today where the school district will be helping in those corridors as well.”
That hit home for Councilman Matthew McNamara, the single parent of a 14-year-old daughter.
“Safe passage is very important and critical and the conversations we’re having with the Y are critical, the old Y and what we’re going to do with that building,” McNamara said. “Is there a resource that current parents can use to access on, perhaps the city website, of non-profit organizations that utilize or offer afterschool programs?
The mayor said that is happening at the county level.
“The county is working on that very challenge of cataloging and making available all of those various resources because there are many and there are some that you don’t know about until someone tells you about it. And that’s part of the county’s ‘Path to Promise’ initiative.”
Rolison noted that youth programs received $100,000 in the Dutchess County budget in 2018, with $140,000 set aside for this year. He said discussions are ongoing among city officials at possibly finding money for even more programs.
Meanwhile, the city is awaiting a response to its Request for Expressions of Interest for the long-dormant YMCA building.
