SCHUMER URGES FBI TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH PROPOSED OFFICE IN NEWBURGH
Recent Reports Indicate FBI May Move FBI Office from Goshen to Newburgh, Schumer Writes FBI to Support Move Amid Rising Crime in Newburgh
FBI Office in Newburgh Would Bring Federal and Local Law Enforcement Closer Together to Fight Crime
Schumer: Newburgh Needs Local FBI Office Now More than Ever
Yesterday, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer released a letter to Robert Muller, Director of the FBI, and John Scorcia, Acting General Services Administration Regional Administrator for the Northeast and Caribbean Region urging them to follow through on initial plans to bring a centrally located FBI office to crime plagued Newburgh. Reports indicate that the FBI through the General Services Administration, the federal agency which coordinates administrative logistics, may be considering moving its Goshen office to Newburgh. Today, Schumer strongly supported this idea.
"Newburgh is dealing with an unprecedented level of crime and we've got to give law enforcement all the resources they need to keep people safe. There is no substitute for having boots on the ground, so an FBI office right in Newburgh will be a big boost for our law enforcement and allow us to continue to focus like a laser on reducing crime," Schumer said.
The FBI working with local law enforcement have made some strides in fighting crime in Newburgh but there is a great deal of work left to do. Recent operations were highly successful in dismantling local gangs, but more needs to be done to maintain recent gains and build a new, safer future for Newburgh. As the city works to reduce crime and rebuild, moving the FBI's Hudson Valley Resident Agency within the city will serve as an important deterrent to gangs trying to claim Newburgh as their home. Additionally, housing such offices in Newburgh would serve as an important resource to the community and send a clear message that the federal government is committed to the betterment of Newburgh.
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. Early this year, Schumer pressed the Justice Department (DOJ) to provide additional resources and to 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 toured Newburgh in June with high ranking DOJ officials and visited three locations that had been particularly hard hit by violence. Schumer's office is continuing to work with Newburgh, the Department of Justice and the FBI.
Recently, 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 has said that Newburgh illustrates this trend, and it must be reversed.
The full text of Schumer's letter to Director Muller and Acting Regional Administrator Scorcia can be seen below:
Robert S. Muller III
Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20535
Mr. John Scorcia
Acting Regional Administrator
Northeast and Caribbean Region
US General Services Administration
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
Dear Director Muller and Acting Regional Administrator Scorcia
There have been reports that the FBI is considering moving its Hudson Valley Resident Agency from Goshen to Newburgh, I write today in strong support of such a proposal.
As you know, the National Gang Intelligence Center's 2009 Gang Threat Assessment found that gangs are increasingly migrating from urban areas to suburban and rural communities. The community of Newburgh is all too familiar with this migration of criminal activity and its pernicious economic effects. This small community has witnessed a precipitous rise in violent crime, juvenile delinquency, and gang related activities. The city's per capita violent crime rate rose to the highest in the State of New York.
The recent operations in the area coordinated by the FBI were highly successful in dismantling local gangs, and will be, I believe, the start of a new beginning for the City of Newburgh. However, it is now important that we ensure that these gangs remain defeated. As the city works to rebuild, I know that moving the FBI's Hudson Valley Resident Agency within the city will serve as an important deterrent to gangs trying to claim Newburgh as their home. Additionally, housing such offices in Newburgh would serve as an important resource to the community and send a clear message that we are committed to the betterment of Newburgh as a whole.
Several officials have voiced their support for such a move including the Orange County Executive Edward Diana, and by the FBI's Supervisory Agent for the Hudson Valley, James Gagliano. Like them, I believe that moving this office will be a catalyst for Newburgh's rehabilitation.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
United States Senator