FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 16, 2020
Law Enforcement Partnership Results Published
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble and the Kingston Police Department have released the results of a law enforcement partnership in the City of Kingston.
On Thursday, August 6, 2020, the Kingston Police Department, in partnership with the New York State Police, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, collaborated on a law enforcement operation to address the recent increase in gun violence and associated drug activity. Uniformed police officers, troopers, and deputies patrolled together throughout the 12 weeks of operation. Plainclothes and undercover investigative personnel from each agency also participated during this unique cooperative effort.
The program was intended to:
1.) Eliminate gun violence: detect and remove the guns and the individuals possessing weapons that are being used in the community.
2.) Break the cycle of drugs and violence: identify the locations and individuals providing the supply of, and creating the demands for illegal narcotics and substances.
3.) Build a respectful dialogue with the community: meet with community leaders and neighborhood representatives at scheduled gatherings, and initiate friendly interaction with neighborhood families and residents, explaining the goals and intentions of this effort.
Upon conclusion of the 12-week program, the combined personnel engaged the public in over 1400 ‘encounters’ (traffic stops and field interviews), all of which were based on some specific violation of the NYS Vehicle or Criminal law. These encounters resulted in 217 arrests: (55 were individuals charged with a felony, 149 were individuals charged with drug or gun related offenses), and 1144 of the encounters resulted in a simple verbal warning to the citizen about the infraction for which they were stopped.
ARREST SUMMATION
- 217 total arrests
- 55 charged felonies
- 96 charged misdemeanors
- 633 Uniform Traffic Tickets issued
- 29 DWI arrests
- 5 Search Warrants executed
- 149 Drug-related and/or violent crime/gun-related arrests
SEIZURE SUMMATION
- Five loaded handguns
- Heroin (40.8 grams)
- Cocaine (104.1 grams)
- Marijuana (1578.9 grams)
- Ecstasy (109 grams)
- Suboxone (84.7 grams)
- Crystal Meth (7.5 grams)
- Fentanyl (5.5 grams)
- Oxycodone (55.8 grams)
- $7,469 cash seized
STATISTICAL SUMMATION
Comparing the 12 weeks prior to the joint law enforcement detail with the 12 weeks in operation:
- Reduction in confirmed shots fired: 13 vs 3 = 77% reduction
- Reduction in firearm related reported incidents (shots fired + man w/gun reports): 37 vs 21 = 43 % reduction
Comparing the 12 weeks during the joint detail with the same 12 weeks in 2019:
- Reduction in Part one crimes: Part one crimes 144 vs 169 = 14% reduction
“Throughout the 12 weeks of the program, all of the personnel assigned conducted themselves professionally while they aggressively investigated hundreds of minor criminal or traffic infractions, many of which resulted in arrests and the recovery of numerous guns and quantities of narcotics,” said Police Chief Egidio Tinti. “Officers also interacted with the public while on patrol and built relationships and dialogue with the community. They introduced themselves to citizens and children using these interactions to explain the goals and intentions of this effort. Numerous investigations remain in progress with additional arrests expected.”
“We thank all of our law enforcement partners for their professionalism, dedication to the City of Kingston community, and making the streets a safe environment for the residents to live and thrive,” said Mayor Noble. “We believe that ongoing efforts and continued dialogue will further improve police and community relations.”