Albany Safe City Coalition on track to provide comprehensive crime reduction plan

ALBANY — On Monday night at the Law Enforcement Center downtown, the newly formed Safe City Coalition passed the halfway point of toward a 60-day deadline imposed by Mayor Dorothy Hubbard for the group to create a comprehensive and strategic plan to reduce violent crime in Albany.

The coalition was formed by Hubbard in October to combat the escalation of homicides in the city.

APD’s Chief Michael Persley welcomed and thanked a small group of coalition participants Monday night who contributed to the development of the crime reduction plan.

“We are on track to meet our 60-day mark,” Persley said. “Right after we had our first meeting, we began working on how the coalition’s plan will come out.”

According to Persley, multiple focus groups were organized to make suggestions about how the city could best reduce violent crime. The suggestions from those focus groups were turned over to work groups who have begun work on “plans of implementation” from the suggestions by the focus groups.

“The groups sat down and came up with about 26 strategic plan recommendations,” Persley explained. “From that group of 26 plan recommendations, we had some lengthy conversations and we broke it into five work groups to attack the topics.”

Persley reported that the coalition was well on track to deliver its recommendations to the mayor by the deadline. The group has 60 business days to complete its mission, which places the due date in the second week of January.

“Really, our goal is to provide the city with a play book of how to deal with these issues,” Persley said. “That way no matter who is in leadership positions, they will a have a plan to follow.”

Hubbard, in response to the escalating violence in Albany, declared “war on crime” and formed the safe city coalition on Oct. 19.

“Today marks the day that we turn the tide on criminal activity in our city,” Hubbard proclaimed in October. “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 was to be 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.