I started my campaign for Mayor standing before the Kings Inn Hotel on Broadway speaking about the need to address quality of life issues in our city. It is my goal to create a positive climate where our residents can feel safe and secure and our businesses can thrive and grow. We all need to understand that the children in midtown and throughout the city must be able to play safely in their front yards and in their neighborhood parks.
Today, I release details of my plan to restore safety to the streets of our city by utilizing existing city services to their fullest while creating a cooperative relationship between city, county, state and school district officials.
The Mayor and Police Chief have taken positive steps to address public safety issues by using operation impact grants to assign police officers to walk the streets of midtown Kingston. As Mayor I will continue these programs and seek additional grant funding to support a visible police presence on the streets of Kingston. I will also seek federal grant funding for after school programs and community groups to ensure that our children have a safe place to go after school. Our Fire Chief has diligently enforced code violations throughout midtown. As Mayor, I will support and expand these efforts.
Many of these juveniles come from homes that lack adequate supervision and structure. When our juveniles are properly supervised and attending school as required by the Education Law, they are not roaming the streets of the city committing crimes and creating nuisance in our neighborhoods.
We also need to focus our attention on those juveniles who commit crimes.
Our police officers are mandated by law to report suspicions of neglect or abuse. The failure to provide adequate guardianship and supervision or the failure to ensure regular school attendance constitutes neglect. When our officers have reason to believe that a child is not being adequately supervised or is not attending school regularly, that officer must file a report with Child Protective Services.
As Mayor, I will develop and enforce procedures to ensure that every suspected case of inadequate guardianship or educational neglect is reported by our police officers and investigated by Child Protective Services.
As Mayor I will develop and enforce procedures where every incident of truancy is documented and reported to the Kingston School District and the County Attorney.
As Mayor I will develop and enforce procedures whereby our officers know which of our juveniles are subject to probation supervision. When our officers learn of violations of probation by juveniles, those violations will be documented and promptly reported to the Department of Probation and the County Attorney.
Our dedicated police officers face safety issues every day in our community related to juvenile crime and truancy. They report frustration with the lack of cooperation and communication between various county agencies. These agencies each have an important role in resolving the issues facing our city. As Mayor I will ensure that our officers know that when they report conduct to the School District, Social Services or Probation, that those reports will be properly investigated and action will be taken.
As Mayor I will create a joint task force with representatives from the Kingston Police Department, Social Services, County Attorney, Kingston School District, Probation and Mental Health to address public safety issues which arise when our juveniles are unsupervised, truant and beyond the control of lawful authority.
These agencies have overlapping responsibilities regarding issues of truancy, inadequate supervision and guardianship and juvenile behavioral issues. All too often, these agencies are operating on parallel paths regarding individual families and children. The lack of communication results in the duplication of services and unnecessary expense. When information is not shared between agencies, opportunity for productive action is lost.
Representatives from these agencies must be encouraged to share information about individuals in the community. Often our police officers are unaware that a child who is causing trouble on the street is already subject to an order of probation supervision, a social services order of supervision or a school district behavior contract. When responding to a complaint regarding an individual, our police officers need to know if that individual is already before a Judge for similar or related conduct. Currently there is no formal system for exchanging this type of information.
As Mayor, I will put such a system in place and insure that through communication of necessary information between agencies, we are fully prepared to address incidents in our community.
As Mayor, I will put such a system in place and insure that through communication of necessary information between agencies, we are fully prepared to address incidents in our community.
Other candidates are speaking of quality of life issues such as fixing our sidewalks, banning smoking in our parks, and moving our fireworks festivities to July 4th. Still other candidates are being photographed trimming hedges in midtown.
Sure these are all important quality of life issues, but it is my position that these issues cannot be addressed until we restore a sense of safety in our community. Restoring safety to our streets will be my primary goal if elected Mayor. My years of legal experience in Family Court and as Assistant Corporation Council have given me a working knowledge of the various involved agencies and the scope of their duties and responsibilities. With this knowledge, I will be able to develop and enforce a comprehensive plan to share government services to ensure that our citizens feel safe in their homes and in the community and that their children can safely play in our neighborhoods and our parks. Without this basic sense of safety, there can be no quality of life.
14 comments:
Finally, someone with a brain who get its. Go Shayne. Kingston needs YOU desperately.
The social workers within the school district should know what students are not coming to school. They should be reporting excess absences but apparently do not.
Start knocking on doors and do home visits. Pass the same law that began today in Florida. I can only imagine the traffic on 95N heading to NY.
You need to clean up and clean out Midtown. Enforce the codes that are in place. Create new codes that fit the historical theme. Broadway should be a priority. I personally will only patronize businesses that maintain their properties. You are now allowing a "store" on Broadway to have a daily yard sale. Come on, couches, coolers, end tables, and clothes out on the sidewalk? All while our current mayor fullfills his "full time postion" from a bar stool early in the afternoon. You must be visible. You must have sight. You must see what the taxpayers are seeing. You must do something to save this city.
Let me say, as of yet, the press has been more interested in the light fluff that barely separates the rest of the field of candidates and hardly anything from Shayne.
Why am I getting more from the Blogs than the Freeman and the Record? This is serious stuff. Im not expecting stimulating commentary from Ron, Andi or Hayes when it comes to the nuts & bolts of running government, but they could at least get someone who knows to write some cognitive press releases once in a while.
Side walks? Give me a break.
This juvenile problem did not happen overnight. Where has Gallo been for a task force? He has been part of the legal team of City HALL FOR HOW LONG? Wasn't his title an advisor to the Mayor? He could have engaged the Police chief a while ago. Why now make a statement? Obviously for political points.
I am sorry for Gallo as that he will be painted as tainted for his association with the current administration.
Same type of politics, different face.
Well 8:35, Following that perspective, Jean Jacobs is the only candidate that has had no association with current government operations. With an impressive resume' and a passion for our city, perhaps she would be your best choice.
For me, I recognise the fact that people throughout any administration can have and offer great ideas, but the Mayor, County Exec, Governor or President has got to agree to allow implementation.
Considering the crew associated with Shayne's primary opponent, I'd easily assign the title of outsider to his campaign.
As an ACC, Shayne is the Mayor's attorney. He is not a policy maker and it has never been his role to propose the types of initiatives that are necessary. Even if he had proposed such initiatives, they would be covered by attorney client privilege and he couldn't speak about them now.
The strength of his candidacy is that through his role as counsel, he has had the opportunity to learn about the services and mechanisms that can be accessed so now he can propose real plans to move us forward.
To see the difference between the candidates, just look at Hayes' response. Sounds like a third grader whining "I thought of it first". Well Hayes, if you thought of it first, tell us when you articulated this kind of plan to anyone in any setting. You didn't because you don't even know what the various agencies do, who the players are and where they fit in the process. That takes practical experience, something you do not have.
Hayes response that Shayne could have initiated these types of programs as corporation counsel also proves that he does not know the jobs of the people who work in city hall.
This is not a marketing plan, solving these issues takes more than a glossy advertising campaign. Agencies must be utilized to their fullest and that can't be done absent a real working knowledge of the responsibilities and powers of each.
Only one candidate has that knowledge and experience and that is why he is the one who has raised the bar in this discussion to where it needs to be.
Great point 10:41. The highlight of Hayes Clement's policy record has been a stop sign. If you want to be schmoozed, he's your guy. He's great at showing up, but how has he distinguished himself as an Alderman? Oh right, a political points tax pledge that never materialized. The record will show no real legislation. He also should know that HE could have established a task force by requesting one from the Noble. But again all the record reflects is a stop sign during his tenure on the Common Council.
Shayne Gallo has made a decent proposal here. While his primary opponent says
"These are many of the same issues I’m discussing, so I’m glad Shayne is on the
same page,” we haven't heard Clement say much at all on this issue. We also
haven't seen him do much, either.
Clement goes on to claim, “In fact, if these initiatives had been proposed and
pursued by Shayne a bit earlier in his long tenure as the city’s assistant
corporation counsel, I’m confident that some of them might have even been a
reality by now.” Well, Mr. Clement has been Alderman for two years. He has
made no proposal on the matter to this point. Where has he been?
This has been the first serious policy proposal by any major candidate in this
young campaign. This isn't an agreement that the job of mayor is a full time
job. The city budget says it is. This isn't a small tax break spaced out over
ten years. This is a real and substantive quality of life issue that could have
a substantial positive impact on the lives of our homeowners, residents, and
children. If successful, home values increase, tax revenues become more stable,
and we all feel a little safer.
Gallo has unique experience to deal with these quality of life problems. He is
the only candidate who has sucessfully dealt with a broad spectrum of these very
problems, both in his capacity as Corporation Council, and in his practice of
family law.
In our very near future, Kingston will have to deal with this problem,
collective bargaining, Elizabeth Manor, Kings Inn, Uptown, Downtown, and
Midtown, Our next mayor will also have to handle the Police, City Courts, and
School District. Our next Mayor should have experience dealing with the spectrum
of of these issues. Gallo does.
Andy Champ-Doran
Didn't Gallo work in family court? Why was he not concerned about task forces while there? Doesn't need to break confidentiality of clients to set up a task force in conjuction with City Hall or how about a phone call to the Police Chief? How about a discussion with the Mayor about juvenile problems? No press release there. There were things he could do in his capacity of corporation counsel but what did he do? Sat in the meetings where Police Chief gave reports about crimes and budgets, sat in laws and rules committees but never expressed a concern or issued a comment to the council members regarding hordes of youth roaming the streets. Please.....WE citizens knew there was a problem and it took an election year to bring it to the forefront by our elected or hope to be elected officials but only after a neighborhood stood up and said enough!
And don't even get me started about the money that Matthews stole that could have been put to good use in the Police dept to help put out these fires across the city.
It amazes me, a successful, well traveled, affluent businessman like Mr. Gallo's opponent doesn't know about the attorney-client privledge?
Well, it shows me one thing, He is not ready for Mayor and the people backing him, put OUR TOWN in this shape.
He it appears to me that he is getting very bad advice from his supporter, the insiders!
By the way, has he ever sponsored any legislature during his tenure??
7:03: what does attorney-client priviledge have to do with this press release? Gallo made a press release calling for a "task force" to investigate juvenile behavior. I was questioning why he needs to do that when he supposedly has the resources (family law and etc)to have been aware of this growing problem and could have picked up the phone to discuss with Kellar of how the police force could remedy the growing issue.Or maybe encouraged the Mayor to do so. Clement never claimed to be voiced in legal matters as his opponent. Clement was just stating the obvious. I am sure being aware of attorney-client priviledge is a must for all Mayoral candidates.....How about being able to manage and run a city like a business. That gets my vote.
By the way I am not a Clement supporter.I just liked Clement's response to the press release. I am for Andi Turco-Levine. She has common sense and a drive to turn this city around. It all comes down to quality of life issues of which current administration has had plenty of time to do but failed.
I am absolutely amazed that we are having this discussion again. Remember community residents and government officials the Safety Summit hosted at City Hall last March 25, 2010. Read my BLOG today and my speech I prepared last year as it relates to A TASK FORCE FOR THE FUTURE.
Mayoral Candidate Gallo, is absolutely correct in demanding acountability as it relates to the Safety of every resident and youth in the City of Kingston by forming a TASK FORCE.
This is the responsibility of our current Mayor and the current Common Council Officials to ensure the Safety of all residents in the City of Kingston.
Mr. Hayes Clement references in the Kingston Daily Freeman on 6/13/2011,"That if infact had these initatives been proposed and pursued by Shayne a bit earlier, some of them might have been a reality by now".
These initatives were proposed to the Current Common Council Alderman last year at the Safety Summit after the loss of youths life in Mid-Town and a serious attack in up town Kingston. Many comunity leaders, clergy and law enforcement officials presented at the public forum. What progress has been made since this time in terms of creating a TASK FORCE ACTION PLAN FOR THE FUTURE?
A portion of my speech last year included:
"Colloboration is Key" Tonight we are here to gain the views and potential solutions and to strengthen relationships to ensure a productive approach to Safety in our Community. This evening will provide an opportunity to develop and share understanding of the issues surrounding City Safety with a clear exchange of views in providing an Action Plan for the future. I am stressing the need for law enforcement officials, city officials, community groups and organizations, school officials and parents to work and partner with the children and youth in our community to exchange ideas and how to best prevent violence, and improve safety within our community. By sharing this information here this evening we can SAVE LIVES.
The REAL REALITY is we had a total of 692 serious crimes in 2010 in the City of Kingston. One serious crime is to many.
So lets give a lesson on attorney client privilge.
When an attorney advises a client about an issue, that advise is confidential.
If an attorney makes a recommendation to that same client, and that client does not follow the recommendation, the recommendation remains confidential.
In his position as a city attorney, Shayne does not legislate. He advises those who legislate. He also drafts bills according to his client's requests. Again, not what he wants to accomplish, what his client wants to accomplish.
If a client does not follow his or her attorney's advise, the attorney's job is to defend whatever course the client chooses, agree or disagree. That is the job of an attorney.
Similarly, when Shayne works in Family Court, he represents his clients. He does not make policy or make suggestions for improvements in the way the system functions. Most days, Shayne is defending parents who are accused of neglecting their children and helping them on an individual basis to resolve the problems that brought them to court.
So when do you think a Family Court attorney proposes solutions to system wide failures?
Shayne is proposing real solutions now because this is the first time he has run for office. His past experience makes him best qualified to propose those solutions becuase he works on the ground every day dealing with the issues that this community must face in the coming years.
P.S. Right on Jean . . .
Are you kidding me? Another stop sign to be erected in Clement's ward at Augusta and W. Chester. Give me a break. Is this the only "feel good" legislation he can come up with to win votes? The stop sign on Spring and Wurts is another prime example of how ineffective he is as an alderman.
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