NEWBURGH – Violent crime is down in the City of Newburgh, Police Commissioner Jose Gomerez told the city council Monday night, but the lawmakers would like to see an intense effort at fighting illicit drug trafficking.
Councilman Robert McLymore said the city must focus on narcotics enforcement.
Councilwoman Ramona Monteverdi said drug trafficking is out of control.
“Until we get control and get the drugs off the street it’s not going to be a safe place. Even though crime has come down, the fact that people can just step out their door and get crack, get heroin and fentanyl, it’s not okay anymore,” she said.
Councilman Omari Shakur had an emotional take on the problem.
“How they can catch all these black and brown kids with a little gram of something in their pockets every day, but they can’t stop them coming into the country with these planes every day, because I know it’s not grown here – cocaine heroin, so how is it getting into the country and how do they catch our kids with a gram. But they can’t find a boat or a plane with kilos of it on there,” he said. “I guess our cops are doing a good job but the states and the feds, I guess, maybe they are doing it themselves last time I heard. They are one of the biggest drug pushers in the nation and I know that for a fact.”
Meanwhile, Commissioner Gomerez said the city manager and he are going to be developing a concerted effort at taking drugs off the streets.
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