CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN DELIVERS FUNDING FOR TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO CREATE NEW COMMUNITY POLICING UNIT, BOLSTER PUBLIC SAFETY

Congressman Pat Ryan Delivers Funding for Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department to Create New Community Policing Unit, Bolster Public Safety

Ryan delivers $375,000 for the creation of a new unit to boost public safety; unit will be concentrated on addressing areas with chronic crime and increasing community outreach

Poughkeepsie Police Chief Cavaliere: “This is going to be a tremendous impact for the entire Town of Poughkeepsie community”

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY –  Today, Congressman Pat Ryan announced that he secured $375,000 for the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department to create a new Community Policing Unit dedicated to community outreach, addressing chronic crime issues like larceny, and remediating quality of life issues within the community. Three new officers will be hired and dedicated solely to the new unit, which will also build the capacity of the Department’s current 83 officers for emergency response and crime prevention. A full video of the announcement is available here. 

“Our local law enforcement officers work tirelessly to keep our communities safe, and I’m pushing every day to get them the support they need. The new Community Policing Unit will bolster the department’s ability to address chronic crime, increase community outreach, and significantly strengthen public safety in Poughkeepsie,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “Too often, our smaller police departments don’t get the resources they need – so we are fixing that here today. And I’ll keep fighting to deliver for law enforcement across the Hudson Valley.”

“This is going to be a tremendous impact for the entire Town of Poughkeepsie community to have these dedicated officers to concentrate on finding solutions to recurrent problems within the town and building better relationships with the community,” said Town of Poughkeepsie Police Chief Joseph Cavaliere. “This funding will create additional positions in our department, boost our ability to thoroughly respond to community needs, concentrate enforcement on areas that have increased crime, and help us really connect with community members. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with Congressman Ryan to deliver for our officers and to the residents and visitors of the Town of Poughkeepsie.”

“This funding is evidence of Congressman Ryan’s strong commitment to public safety, and will go a long way towards helping law enforcement deal with the many issues facing our communities today,” said Dutchess County Sheriff Kirk Imperati. “I would like to take this time to thank Congressman Ryan not only for this, but for all of his efforts in support of law enforcement and community safety.”

"Public safety has long been a top priority of mine because residents’ safety is directly linked to their quality of life.  The men and women of law enforcement are such an important part of the fabric of our community and we are so grateful for all they do to protect and serve our residents," said Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino. "The federal funding announced today will bolster the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department’s ranks and further expand collaborative community policing efforts.  I’m grateful for Rep. Ryan’s efforts to secure these funds, and I look forward to similar partnerships that support our local communities.”

"These federal funds will help our officers and our community focus on crime prevention—one of the most effective ways we can keep residents safe,” said Town of Poughkeepsie Supervisor Rebecca Edwards. “I’m so grateful to Congressman Ryan for these funds, and to the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department for this important initiative.”  

“As a former police officer for 26 years and the father of an officer currently on the job, I understand that raising recruitment and retention at our departments will lead to better public safety outcomes for residents,” said State Senator Rob Rolison, 39th District. “I applaud Congressman Ryan's efforts to secure this important funding and I look forward to working with him again to support our brave men and women in law enforcement.”

“I am grateful to  Congressman Pat Ryan for securing this $375,000 grant for the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett. “The Town of Poughkeepsie is the largest municipality in my Assembly District and this federal funding will enable the department to expand its workforce and enhance public safety." 

“Community policing is a critical element of public safety and I want to thank Congressman Ryan and the Department of Justice for bringing this funding to the Town of Poughkeepsie,” said County Legislator Brendan Lawler, 4th District. “The addition of these officers will ensure that the partnership between law enforcement and town residents continues to strengthen.”

“I am so grateful to Congressman Ryan for securing this grant that will build the capacity of the Town of Poughkeepsie Police department to develop creative approaches to prevent crime, help those in need, and keep our communities safe,” said County Legislator Lisa Kaul, 6th District. “Trust is the cornerstone of relationships and to build trust you need the capacity to do so.”

The new Community Policing Unit will allow three new officers to respond directly to community needs and quality of life concerns, conduct comprehensive community outreach, address chronic crimes issues such as larceny, implement evidence based community policing methods, and focus enforcement on the Town’s Main Street corridor. The hiring of the three new officers will also build the capacity of the Department’s current 83 officers for emergency response and crime prevention. 

The federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant programs. Today’s announcement comes on the heels of Congressman Ryan securing a $400,000 COPS grant for the Ulster County Sheriff’s Department to implement a crisis intervention team. Congressman Ryan also recently introduced an amendment to the House’s Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to increase the funding for the COPS grant programs by $5 million. The additional funding would help allow the COPS Office to increase its grant programs that support local law enforcement and community safety initiatives across the country. In September, Congressman Ryan secured a $300,000 COPS grant for the Middletown Police Department to upgrade the Department’s technology investments. Congressman Ryan also cosponsors the Invest to Protect Act of 2023 to extend COPS grant opportunities to smaller police departments as well.

Congressman Ryan has long advocated for increased funding for law enforcement and first responders, including making repeated calls for increased funding to combat fentanyl trafficking and cosponsoring legislation to establish a grant program to provide additional assistance to local law enforcement agencies. Last October, Congressman Ryan joined with local law enforcement to announce the passage of the Invest to Protect Act and that over $2.6 million in federal funds were secured for local law enforcement agencies through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program.

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