Schumer: With Illegal Drug Seizure, Firearm Seizure, & Other Crime On The Rise In pughkeepsie, Fed Program Used To Hire New Cops Unfairly Restricts Small Cities With High Crime Rates, Like Poughkeepsie, From Getting Additional Officers They Desperately Need -- Launches Major Push To Change Fed Program & Secure Critical Fed Funding Needed To Hire 5 New Cops In City Of Poughkeepsie

Press Release

At the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today launched a two-pronged push to secure the funds needed to hire additional police officers to Poughkeepsie's force and make significant changes to the federal program that helps cities like Poughkeepsie hire more officers, called the COPS Hiring Program (CHP). Schumer explained that, despite an increase in illegal drug seizure, firearm seizure and other crime, the City of Poughkeepsie's police force has declined in recent years to a little under 96 sworn officers as of just last year, as well as 34 civilians, which includes 13 dispatchers. Schumer said that with crime like illegal drug seizure and firearm seizure increasing, it is critical the City of Poughkeepsie be able to hire the officers it needs turn the tide of crime in the area. Therefore, first, Schumer pledged his support for the City of Poughkeepsie's application for CHP funding, through which they are seeking to hire five new police officers, and will promise to do everything in his power to fight for this funding. Schumer said that even though Poughkeepsie should be allowed to apply for funding for more officers -- which it has desperately said it needs -- even adding five new cops would make a major difference so the City of Poughkeepsie can have more officers on patrol.

Second, Schumer renewed his push to make significant changes to the federal program that helps cities like Poughkeepsie hire these additional police officers, called the COPS Hiring Program (CHP). Schumer previously pushed to amend this program to allow small cities like Poughkeepsie with high crime rates to hire the additional cops they need, and said he is now pushing new Attorney General Loretta Lynch to consider this measure. Schumer explained the program currently sets a limit on how much funding a city can apply for based on the current size of the police force, rather than the amount of crime in an area. Specifically, the program currently has a hard cap that only allows a city like Poughkeepsie to apply for funding to hire the equivalent of 5% of its police force -- which in Poughkeepsie's case is approximately five officers. Schumer argued this arbitrary limit unfairly restricts a small city like Poughkeepsie, which has a dwindling police force and high crime rate, from applying for the amount of funding it truly needs.

"A city with crime challenges like Poughkeepsie should not be restricted from seeking federal funds to hire the number of cops it truly need," said Schumer.

Schumer continued, "The COPS Hiring Program is a god-send for communities around New York State, but it does not make sense to limit a city like Poughkeepsie which needs these funds more than most. That is why I am calling for a big change in this program -- instead of setting a hard cap on how much funding a city can receive, based solely on the size of a city's current police force -- the program should also take local crime rates into consideration and allow cities with the highest crime rates to apply for funding to hire officers beyond the current cap. Every officer makes a difference, and if Poughkeepsie were allowed to apply for even more funding, we could take a real bite out of area crime."

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