Hinchey Announces Federal Grant

(Newburgh) - Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) announced on August 23, 2006 that the City of Newburgh has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to continue its community improvement and crime prevention efforts. The Weed and Seed grant, which focuses on “weeding out” violent crime and gang activity while “seeding” the community with youth services, is the fourth of its kind the city has received.

“We’ve seen clear evidence of how these federal funds have helped reduce crime and create new opportunities for success in Newburgh in the past, which is why I am very pleased that the city is receiving a new allocation of $200,000 to continue this important program,” Hinchey said. “Through a lot of hard work by many people, we are making significant progress in revitalizing Newburgh and this grant will help to further advance that effort.”

The program targets gun-related crime and drug crimes in Census Track 4 of Newburgh, which has the highest crime rates in the city as well as the highest indicators of socio-economic distress. However, the program has shown positive impacts well beyond that particular area. Firearm related crimes in Newburgh overall are down 12.5 percent over last year; firearm related robberies are down 78.9 percent; and firearm related assaults are down 66.7 percent.

With the federal funds previously received, the Newburgh Weed & Seed program has instituted community policing, including bike patrols, foot patrols, and routine police/community meetings to improve communication. On the “seeding” side, Weed and Seed has provided much-needed funding to local non-profit groups who provide after school activities for youth, including the Glenn Hines Boys & Girls Club and HOOPS Express. These groups are focused on providing services to youth from Census Track 4 to keep them from becoming involved in drugs and street crime.

Karen Mallam, Site Coordinator for the Newburgh Weed & Seed program said, “We’re very pleased to get the continuation funding. This program is a wonderful example of what a community can do when everyone pulls together. We have to congratulate the City of Newburgh Police Department and City Administration for all the effort they’ve put in. We’d also like to thank the citizens who participated in our anti-crime activities, whose success is demonstrated by our recent statistics indicating a reduction in city crime. It shows what you can do when the community gets involved.”

The Newburgh Weed and Seed program has also worked in coordination with other community based organizations that are working on rehabilitation of residential housing and home-ownership programs, including Habitat for Humanity, which recently completed six units of restored housing in the census track and Newburgh Community Improvement Corporation, whose multi-phase Lander Street Project has rehabilitated 66 units of rental housing with another 20 units slated for the near future. Both of these efforts received additional federal funding through the Federal Home Loan Bank.