FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 3, 2020

KPD Partnering with Law Enforcement Agencies to Combat Crime

KINGSTON, NY –Mayor Steve Noble and Kingston Police Chief Egidio Tinti announce that the Kingston Police Department will be partnering with the New York State Police and a variety of other local and state partners to combat crime in our community, starting this week. 

Over the next 10 weeks, the Kingston Police Department, New York State Police, members of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, the Ulster County District Attorney and additional partners will be working in coordination to focus our policing efforts to prevent future violent incidents, as well as assisting in investigative work to solve the recent rash of crimes.  New York State Police will be providing multiple additional patrols and investigative units, The District Attorney Dave Clegg has assigned a special investigator and additional support from the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office.

“In an effort to focus additional resources on our efforts to eliminate gun violence and illegal drugs, we have reached out to the New York State Police, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, and our neighbors in the Town of Ulster to bring together a focused team that will increase our on-street enforcement capacity, improve our investigative resources, and allow for more open communication between all of our police agencies,” said Mayor Noble.

Mayor Noble continued, “We are doing everything we can to instill a sense of safety back in our community for all of our residents. Breaking the cycle of drugs and violence must be a twofold approach in which we continue to build a respectful dialogue with the community and also demand that violence and drugs have no place here.” 

“We are asking for all available resources to keep everyone in our community safe and to help us close the ongoing investigations,” said Chief Egidio Tinti. “Our department is well-equipped but the number of incidents has overwhelmed our resources. Having the additional assistance will mean more officers for increased street presence and the behind the scenes investigations.” 

District Attorney David Clegg said, “We need an all hands on deck approach to stop gun violence and drug trafficking in our community. The Ulster County District Attorney’s Office is committed to supporting the efforts of the Kingston Police Department, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police to target the small number of offenders responsible for these crimes.”

“The recent increase in shootings, crime, overdoses and the pandemic has made daily life difficult and unsafe in the City of Kingston. I look forward in working with Mayor Noble, Chief Tinti and the NY State Police for a more sustainable peace in our communities,” said Sheriff Juan Figueroa.

“Greater attention to the specific problems of drugs and firearms is crucial in this moment,” said Reynold Scott-Childress, Alderman Ward 3. “Another crucial component in ending the violence is community support for the police. I want to acknowledge KPD's record in terms of both excellent training and sound practice – we have rarely seen incidents here and certainly none of the heinous acts we’ve seen across the nation. I am proud of our police department for its earlier initiatives, such as procedural justice practices and the Peaceful Guardians program, which have proven to work. I commend the Department for coordinating closely with other agencies.”

“As the Common Council liaison to the Police Commission, I know firsthand how challenging these acts of violence can be – for the families who are affected, for the community, and for law enforcement,” said Alderman Tony Davis. “I am thankful for the support of other law enforcement agencies, but I also know that in order to make our City truly safer, we will need the community to work with the Kingston Police Department. We have an opportunity here to bridge the divide and bring peace to our streets together.” 

“I would like to thank our law enforcement partners for helping us navigate this difficult time, and also the community members and local groups like Harambee, who have been encouraging Stop the Violence messaging, and the Common Council, who have been making inroads into the community for police relations. As I’ve said before, we need the help of everyone in these efforts, and it’s been heartening to see the outpouring of support for our City. I know we will be able to move forward with the help of this community.” 

The City of Kingston will regularly communicate with the community and update on the progress. The Kingston Police Department Facebook page wil also provide updates.