Albany mayor declares war on crime

ALBANY — As the number of Albany homicides continues to increase far beyond what the city has seen in at least two decades, law enforcement officials from every local agency, along with Mayor Dorothy Hubbard, gathered Thursday morning to officially declare war on crime.

“The city of Albany is not immune to crime,” Hubbard said at a news conference at the Albany Law Enforcement Center. “Crime prevention has been a No. 1 priority for us for a long, long time. Crime is a challenge certainly for our city, our state and our country.”

Hubbard’s words come after a particularly violent week in Albany during which three people lost their lives in separate incidents: a murder/attempted suicide Oct. 9 on Rosedale Avenue, a murder at the Dollar General store at 1906 E. Oglethorpe Blvd. Friday and a murder at the Quality Inn on North Westover Boulevard on Saturday.

Homicides have continued to escalate during 2017, despite the urging of law enforcement officials for non-violent resolutions.

“Albany is where I started my career,” Hubbard said. “It is where I raised my family, and it is where I encourage other young people to come and raise their families, to work, play, pray and stay.

“One of the greatest honors for me has been to serve as the mayor of the city that I love so dearly. It is always an honor for me to talk with our citizens about what a great city Albany has been and will be in the future. This is your home, and this is our home.”

Hubbard pointed out the stunning rise in violent crimes and other crimes of opportunity in Albany throughout the past year and offered sympathy for families affected.

“Like many of you, I am deeply concerned about the rise of violence that has plagued this city this year,” the mayor said. “As I go forward with these announcements, I’d certainly like to add condolences for members of families and friends of those that have lost their lives, not only in our city, but throughout the state and nation.”

The mayor described crime as a “cancer” affecting our community and expressed concern that the persistence of violence could negatively impact the economy of Albany.

“Crime is a form of cancer to our community,” she said. “It kills what is here and forestalls what could be industries coming to our area or families deciding whether to make Albany home.”

In Hubbard’s speech Thursday, she commented that 19 murders had occurred this year. According to police reports, 18 homicides have taken place during the calendar year, and one cold case, the murder of Justin Jemere King, was solved, accounting for the the mayor’s total number.

“Listen to me when I tell you that 19 people have lost their lives in our city this year,” Hubbard said. “It’s senseless and inexplicable violence. On a lesser scale, but still very important, are the statistics showing an increase in automobile thefts and burglaries. I am declaring to you today that we together must take back our community from domestic violence, gun violence and drugs.

“I am drawing the line, and I am asking all law-abiding citizens in our city to join us in being more vigilant and tougher on those who commit crimes in our city. Every business and every residence should support our efforts to do what we can to ensure citizen safety. As your mayor, I say it is time to fight crime harder, smarter and, most importantly, together. We know that the accomplishments that we have made in recent years have been because we have worked together.”

Statistics dating to 2000 show a sharp increase in violent crimes in 2016 and this year, the first back-to-back years with double-digit homicides since 2007-08. Murder counts include:

— 2000: six

— 2001: seven

— 2002: seven

— 2003: seven

— 2004: eight

— 2005: nine

— 2006: seven

— 2007: 12

— 2008: 11

— 2009: eight

— 2010: 11

— 2012: four

— 2013: eight

— 2014: 10

— 2015: eight

— 2016: 15

— 2017: 18, currently

Nearly 30 years ago, the Albany metropolitan area — then comprising Dougherty and Lee counties — had the dubious distinction of being labeled the “murder capital” of the country with 29 murders, including 27 in Albany in 1988, giving it a national high per-capita murder rate of 24.1 (homicides per 100,000 people). While the overall number was dwarfed by the 3,577 murders in New York City that year, New York’s per-capita murder rate was 22.7.

“Today marks the day that we turn the tide on criminal activity in our city,” Hubbard proclaimed. “Today is the day that elected officials, law enforcement, faith-based organizations, neighborhood watch groups, civic groups, nonprofit entities and businesses must join us in declaring war on crime in our city. We have to be aggressive in our immediate and sustained efforts to proactively address citizens’ safety concerns.

“An effective war on crime requires consistent, sustained leadership and efforts from all sectors of our community. A fundamental role of government is to ensure the safety and security of all of our citizens. I believe, as does every one of our city commissioners, that everyone in our city is entitled to and deserves to be safe and secure. In the wake of the recent homicides and other major crimes, I am here to announce the formation of a Safe City Coalition.”

According to the mayor, the newly formed Safe City Coalition is a partnership among officials within the city government and leaders of local law enforcement.

“The coalition will be a collaborative effort headed by our police chief and will include his law enforcement colleagues, the city manager, the city attorney, the district attorney and others,” Hubbard said. “The coalition will gather facts, collect data and make recommendations on policy and best practices as to how we, as a city, can prevent, address and respond to violence in all its forms, including, but not limited to, violence-driven street crime, illegal use of weapons, domestic violence, drug offenses and other violent situations.”

Hubbard tasked the coalition with developing an action plan to address the escalation of violence within 60 days.

“Within 60 days, we are asking this coalition to bring to the City Commission a comprehensive strategy and action plan that includes cutting-edge measures for short- and long-term improvements of safety and security in this city,” she said.