Schumer Presses Attorney General for Emergency Resources to Fight Crime Spike in Newburgh

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, in a personal letter, urged United States Attorney General Eric Holder to provide more crime-fighting resources to Newburgh, NY, which has seen crime skyrocket as the city has been infiltrated by gangs and plagued by episodes of youth violence. Newburgh has become a prime example of a growing national problem of gangs and violence in smaller communities, as it has become the scene of shootings, beatings and murders. This spike in criminal activity threatens to derail the promising economic revitalization efforts forged by community leaders. In his letter, Schumer pressed Holder to send a high-level team from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to Newburgh to assess the situation, work hand-in-hand with local law enforcement officials and recommend steps that would make the community safer and determine what federal resources can be brought to bear.

"The crime situation in Newburgh is heart-breaking and unacceptable and we must address it head-on," said Schumer. "The FBI and other federal agencies have the resources to step up here, work with local law enforcement leaders and make a real difference, and I think Attorney General Holder will see this once he takes a hard look at what's going on. We've seen far too many of our young people hurt and killed to stand by for a moment longer. What we need is for federal agencies to coordinate directly with local law enforcement agencies to target resources where they will be most effective in beating back the crime that is affecting residents' quality of life."

The City of Newburgh is facing an almost unprecedented spike in violence, and the intense financial difficulties faced by the community -- as well as communities across the country -- is only making dealing with the issue all the more difficult. Newburgh and cities like it are simply unable to deal with the rising rate of crime because they do not have the resources to put more cops on the beat, purchase high tech crime fighting equipment or place police officers in schools, especially in times like these. In his letter, Schumer called on the Attorney General to provide these additional resources and send a high ranking Justice Department delegation to the City of Newburgh to work with and coordinate with local police to establish a plan of action to stem the rising tide of crime. Schumer praised the city police force, the Orange County Sheriff's office and New York State Police for their efforts and said that any further assistance could only benefit the community. Schumer also praised local leaders and community members who have forged economic revitalization plans for Newburgh.

Schumer said that the DOJ has become involved in similar cases. For example, in Brentwood, NY the FBI and other federal partners are working closely with local law enforcement, are prepared to meet with local community leaders, and have agreed to significantly increase resources to fight gangs operating in the area. In his letter to Holder, Schumer cited the National Gang Intelligence Center's 2009 Gang Threat Assessment that found that gangs are increasingly migrating from urban areas to suburban and rural communities, expanding gang influence in most regions. Schumer said that Newburgh illustrated this trend, and it must be reversed.

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