NEWBURGH – State Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado was in Newburgh on Wednesday to hear from leaders of grassroots organizations and city mayors about the epidemic of gun violence. Newburgh Mayor Torrance Harvey, Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison, Kingston Mayor Steve Noble and Middletown Mayor Joe DeStefano each discussed what their communities are doing both in law enforcement and community involvement.
Following the closed-door session, Rosado told Mid-Hudson News three concerns were expressed repeatedly, including the need for more summer job opportunities for young people, something for which she said the state can assist.
There was also concern for mental health services.
“I am fascinated that because of the pandemic we can speak openly about mental health services and recognize that we all need them because we all just suffered a trauma together, but imagine the trauma of gun violence are traumas that are also being suffered together by communities, by children, and we have never been able to talk about that, ‘a’ to talk about it, and ’b’ to address it,” she said.
Rosado said participants said gun violence should not be normal dinner conversation so the governor has made large investments in programs like the GIVE (Gun Involved Violence Elimination) program and the SNUG (‘guns’ spelled backward) targeting the elimination of gun violence from law enforcement and from communities.
