POUGHKEEPSIE >> More than 400 people marched through city streets Saturday evening, in the wake of a recent string of violence in the city within a month.
After the “Stop the Violence” march, residents and public officials gathered at the city’s community center to discuss future actions for mitigating bloodshed.
The residents said they were overwhelmed and afraid because of the escalation of violent occurrences.
The city has had seven shootings since June 28, two of them fatal.
On July 21 in the afternoon, a 37-year-old man was fatally shot inside a vehicle on State Street, city police has said.
On July 18 at 3:18 a.m., police said they responded to a reported fight outside Club Ciboney at 189 Church St. where a caller had reported shots fired inside the club. Police said a 24-year-old woman was hit by a shot that richocheted off the club’s dance floor and struck her leg.
The other five shootings in Poughkeepsie occurred in a six-day span from June 28 to July 3. In one of the incidents, 21-year-old Poughkeepsie resident Shameik Floyd died after being shot in the head on Mansion Street.
Joseph Stratford, one of the organizers, said the community was just tired of seeing young people getting hurt, or dying, and they knew something needed to be done.
“We’ve got to do something; we have to stop this here madness,” said Stratford. “We don’t want the crime in our streets, we don’t want the children to die, we don’t want illegally armed children, or kids, or men, or women, walking around here killing each other. We want to stop the violence; that is our prerogative.”
Robert Pemberton, lead organizer for the march and conference, said he will be trying to set up a program where 21-year and older residents will take a freshman high school student under their wing for four years or the duration of their time in school. He plans to start with the local colleges like Vassar, Bard, Marist and then, eventually, pitch the idea to the city officials. This mentorship program is something he believes will keep troubled youth from acting out in violence.
“That’s the thing that’s lacking here in the City of Poughkeepsie is support for positive things with the youth,” said Pemberton.
Pemberton, Stratford, Rasonia Squire and the other community organizers said the event will become an annual one and that they will continue to involve the community, as well as pressure elected leaders, until the violence stops.
Related content:
Man with manslaughter record is charged in Poughkeepsie’s latest gunfire case, July 24, 2015;
Poughkeepsie police ID homicide victim, July 23, 2015;
Two more shootings in Poughkeepsie, one fatal, bring recent total to seven, July 22, 2015;
City of Poughkeepsie has third and fourth shootings of week, July 1, 2015;
2 men shot in separate incidents in city of Poughkeepsie about a day apart, June 29, 2015.
Read other stories involving firearms: www.OneidaDispatch.com/topic/guns
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