Poughkeepsie seeks solutions, adds resources after shootings, believed to be gang-related
The City of Poughkeepsie is planning on increasing its visible police presence and its investigative resources, following a flurry of gunfire Tuesday that included the fourth gun homicide in the city this year and shots exchanged on a street next to an adult softball game.
Mayor Rob Rolison said city officials, police and partner agencies, such as members of the FBI Safe Streets task force, met throughout Wednesday to discuss what additional measures can be taken to improve safety and what resources are available.
The agencies, Rolison said, generally investigate shooting incidents as being gang-related, and those Tuesday are no exception.
Just before 8:30 p.m., city police Capt. Steven Minard said, police received reports of shots fired at the ballpark at College Hill park, which is located at 16 Bartlett Street. Officers who arrived at the scene found numerous shell casings, according to Minard, but no one was injured in the gunfire.
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It was not immediately unclear who was the intended target of the violence, Minard said, and the motive for the attack is still under investigation.
"We don't even know if it had anything directly to do with players that were there, or if it just happened to be the same location," Minard said.
“It’s scary,” Rolison said, “there’s gunfire while people are playing softball.
“We don’t tolerate that kind of violence,” he said. "However, what’s happening is, these are indiscriminate acts of gun violence in different parts of the city that are unpredictable.”
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The incident followed two others early Tuesday. Police around 1:45 a.m. found a 28-year-old man who was fatally shot on Mansion Street. Shortly after, a 44-year-old city resident walked into police headquarters with a gunshot wound.
Police are not sure of any connection between the incidents. However, Rolison noted most of the shootings are linked in some way.
“These are retaliatory incidents stemming from things that took place in the week, in a year, sometimes we find cases that are related to other jurisdictions,” he said. “Individuals who are involved in this type of violence can be very patient.”
Already, Rolison said, city police have increased overtime for its officers in order to better cover certain hot spots around the city, “trying to be proactive.”
Prior to Tuesday, the most recent fatal shooting in the city was on June 18 when Atiba Proverbs, 27, was shot multiple times during an exchange of gunfire inside a grocery store at 386 Main St. Two others were wounded, including 31-year-old Carlton Benton, who is charged with second-degree murder in Proverbs’ death.
No homicide charges have been brought in the earlier fatal shootings of Ronald Green Jr. on Gifford Avenue on Feb. 17 and the Easter morning killing of Cain Smalls outside a bar on Mill Street. Rayquan Faircloth was indicted on a felony weapon charge in connection to Green's case.
Anyone with information on the shootings is asked to call police at 845-451-4000 or 845-451-7577.
Rolison said it’s important that those who pull the trigger understand there are consequences.
“These individuals who are out there, they need to be apprehended and then they need to be held accountable and locked up. But we need to get to them first,” Rolison said. “It takes time to sort.”
As for safety in the city moving forward, the mayor admitted, “This has been going on for too long, as we’re all aware of. … We say all the time, it’s unacceptable.”
Previously, the city identified refurbishing its parks, such as College Hill, as one way to help curb a trend of violence in the long term. But in the short term, the retaliatory incidents can appear to be in random places.
“We take this very seriously. It is the No. 1 priority of the city government to make sure the residents of this community are safe and that we are doing everything we can to prevent and stop and hold people accountable but at the same time, it’s difficult work,” Rolison said, noting residents can help by coming forward to police with any information they may know. “I wish we didn’t have this level of gun violence here … it’s something that is affecting many communities around the state. We will use every resource we have to take guns off the streets.”