Editorial - Keeping All of Us Safe

EDITORIAL

The Village of Jeffersonville, like towns and villages in Sullivan, has been coming back in recent years. But in a span of 72 hours his week, the community was rocked by a violent murder of a well-liked woman and then news immediately following that a suspect was arrested and charged with raping two 15-year-olds. Our hearts go out to the families and friends impacted by these two violent, heinous crimes. In Liberty, a series of car robberies have taken place in recent weeks, prompting the Sullivan County Sheriff to issue a warning about safety. In Monticello last week, there was a threat by a juvenile (arrested quickly) to “shoot up” schools in Monticello plus an arrest of a major heroin dealer in the same Village. As Sullivan County emerges as a crown jewel of “I Love NY” destinations, these are not the kind of headlines we want to attract tourism and investment in our communities. While we applaud the great work by local law enforcement to quickly apprehend and get dangerous felons off our streets, we need to do more to prevent such crimes in the first place. That’s one reason it’s imperative for all citizens do their fair share to keep their neighborhoods safe. In New York City soon after 9-11, the slogan became, “if you see something, say something.” We all have a stake in being the eyes and ears of our neighborhoods...where we live, where work and where we play. That means seasonal homeowners and summer visitors, too. We are all in this together to protect our neighbors and the future of our communities. In the case of the Kenoza Lake incident, a Good Samaritan did come upon the suspect in the home and reportedly pummelled him, then held him until police arrived.

Town and Village Boards have a role to play as well. They can make sure they are consistently lobbying hard for the Sheriff’s Office and State Police for more regular patrols in zones that require it. Municipalities around the County that do not have their own police departments might also consider establishing their own constable force, something the Town of Tusten considered last year. An auxiliary police force is another option. We won’t let these recent crimes define our communities. But they should motivate all of us to be more aware and more vigilant. -- Rich Klein (Editor & Publisher)

The Sullivan Times Editor & Publisher: Rich Klein PO Box 502 Jeffersonville NY 12748 sullivancatskillstimes@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

The Village of Jeffersonville, like towns and villages in Sullivan, has been coming back in recent years. But in a span of 72 hours his week, the community was rocked by a violent murder of a well-liked woman and then news immediately following that a suspect was arrested and charged with raping two 15-year-olds. Our hearts go out to the families and friends impacted by these two violent, heinous crimes. In Liberty, a series of car robberies have taken place in recent weeks, prompting the Sullivan County Sheriff to issue a warning about safety. In Monticello last week, there was a threat by a juvenile (arrested quickly) to “shoot up” schools in Monticello plus an arrest of a major heroin dealer in the same Village. As Sullivan County emerges as a crown jewel of “I Love NY” destinations, these are not the kind of headlines we want to attract tourism and investment in our communities. While we applaud the great work by local law enforcement to quickly apprehend and get dangerous felons off our streets, we need to do more to prevent such crimes in the first place. That’s one reason it’s imperative for all citizens do their fair share to keep their neighborhoods safe. In New York City soon after 9-11, the slogan became, “if you see something, say something.” We all have a stake in being the eyes and ears of our neighborhoods...where we live, where work and where we play. That means seasonal homeowners and summer visitors, too. We are all in this together to protect our neighbors and the future of our communities. In the case of the Kenoza Lake incident, a Good Samaritan did come upon the suspect in the home and reportedly pummelled him, then held him until police arrived.

Town and Village Boards have a role to play as well. They can make sure they are consistently lobbying hard for the Sheriff’s Office and State Police for more regular patrols in zones that require it. Municipalities around the County that do not have their own police departments might also consider establishing their own constable force, something the Town of Tusten considered last year. An auxiliary police force is another option. We won’t let these recent crimes define our communities. But they should motivate all of us to be more aware and more vigilant. -- Rich Klein (Editor & Publisher)

The Sullivan Times Editor & Publisher: Rich Klein PO Box 502 Jeffersonville NY 12748 sullivancatskillstimes@gmail.com

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