Latest news with #AlbanyPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hochul denounces ‘unacceptable' taping of swastikas on Albany GOP headquarters
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Thursday denounced the vandalization of the state GOP headquarters in Albany. Police say an individual taped swastikas and a message that read, 'If this is not what you stand for, prove it,' on the building's doors and windows overnight. 'This is unacceptable. No one should ever resort to violence or vandalism to make a political point,' Hochul wrote in a post on the social platform X. 'Grateful for the swift response of the Albany Police Department to keep this location safe and hold those responsible for this despicable act accountable,' she added. Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) appeared to blame Democrats for allegedly motivating the crime with political rhetoric. 'New Yorkers haven't forgotten that New York Democrats viciously and dangerously compared last year's successful Trump Madison Square Garden Rally to Nazis and called President Trump 'Hitler,'' she wrote in a post on Facebook, accompanied with images of the property. 'Americans rejected this dangerous rhetoric and overwhelmingly elected President Trump at the ballot box. And now less than a year later, the New York Republican State Committee Albany State headquarters was criminally vandalized with Nazi symbols. We must ensure this dangerous rhetoric stops and this vicious criminal who perpetrated this heinous crime be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' she added. Her comments appeared to reference former Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's statements last October, when he compared President Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden to a 1939 pro-Nazi event. State GOP Chair Ed Cox echoed her sentiments, urging New York Democrats to condemn violent crime, which they later did. 'A vandal duct taped swastikas to our doors and windows — symbols of genocidal evil, meant to intimidate and silence,' he said in a statement. 'This is not only an attack on our party, it is also an attack on the values of civil discourse, democracy and decency,' he added. The New York Democratic Party shared their concerns in a statement following Cox's lead. Democrats dealt with similar issues of violence during last year's presidential campaign, forcing them to close their field office in Tempe, Ariz., after three shooting incidents. 'Hate has no place in our communities, and the New York State Democratic Party unequivocally condemns this shameful and inappropriate act,' the statement said. 'We encourage New Yorkers across the political spectrum to denounce hate in all its forms.' Police have not yet apprehended the suspect responsible for the Albany GOP headquarters crime. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
17-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Hochul denounces ‘unacceptable' taping of swastikas on Albany GOP NY headquarters
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on Thursday denounced the vandalization of the state GOP headquarters in Albany. Police say an individual taped swastikas and a message that read, 'If this is not what you stand for, prove it,' on the building's doors and windows overnight. 'This is unacceptable. No one should ever resort to violence or vandalism to make a political point,' Hochul wrote in a post on the social platform X. 'Grateful for the swift response of the Albany Police Department to keep this location safe and hold those responsible for this despicable act accountable,' she added. House Republican Leadership Chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) appeared to blame Democrats for allegedly motivating the crime with political rhetoric. 'New Yorkers haven't forgotten that New York Democrats viciously and dangerously compared last year's successful Trump Madison Square Garden Rally to Nazis and called President Trump 'Hitler,'' she wrote in a post on Facebook, accompanied with images of the property. 'Americans rejected this dangerous rhetoric and overwhelmingly elected President Trump at the ballot box. And now less than a year later, the New York Republican State Committee Albany State headquarters was criminally vandalized with Nazi symbols. We must ensure this dangerous rhetoric stops and this vicious criminal who perpetrated this heinous crime be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' she added. Her comments appeared to reference former Democratic vice-presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz 's statements last October, where he compared President Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden to a 1939 pro-Nazi event. State GOP Chair Ed Cox echoed her sentiments, urging New York Democrats to condemn violent crime, which they later did. 'A vandal duct taped swastikas to our doors and windows – symbols of genocidal evil, meant to intimidate and silence,' he said in a statement. 'This is not only an attack on our party, it is also an attack on the values of civil discourse, democracy and decency,' he added. The New York Democratic party shared their concerns in a statement following Cox's lead. Democrats dealt with similar issues of violence during last year's presidential campaign, forcing them to close their field office in Tempe, Ariz., after three shooting incidents. 'Hate has no place in our communities, and the New York State Democratic Party unequivocally condemns this shameful and inappropriate act,' the statement said. 'We encourage New Yorkers across the political spectrum to denounce hate in all its forms.'
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Phoebe, APD partner to reduce community violence
ALBANY – Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital hosted a two-day violence prevention conference recently, bringing together health care providers, law enforcement leaders and public health officials to find solutions to violence plaguing certain neighborhoods in Albany. The conference focused on implementing the Cardiff Violence Prevention Model, a project designed to reduce violence through data-driven strategies. The model is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was developed by Dr. Jonathan Shepherd – a surgeon and professor at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom – who participated virtually in the Albany conference on Thursday. 'We're extremely fortunate to have Dr. Shepherd take part in our conference because he is the world's foremost expert in helping health care providers and law enforcers work together to prevent violence,' Dr. Leon Dent, Phoebe's medical director for trauma services, said. 'We're also excited to welcome trauma team members from Grady Health and other leaders from Atlanta, where this model has been successfully implemented.' Experts estimate more than half of violent crime in the United States is not reported to law enforcement, meaning communities lack a complete understanding of the location, frequency and types of violence happening locally. The Cardiff Violence Prevention Model uses health data to complement police crime data, providing a more comprehensive understanding of violence and improving the ability to develop and deliver successful solutions. 'I think the motivation for this partnership work grows as people learn how to work together – law enforcement and emergency physicians and city government – and that's exciting; that's new,' Shepherd said. The Phoebe Trauma Services team has been working with the Albany Police Department for several years on this project, and both organizations are already sharing data with the Georgia Department of Public Health. The next step is to create a violence prevention board and community safety partnerships involving more groups and individuals to help develop and implement programs and initiatives. 'Albany is the right size community for this,' Albany Police Department Chief Michael Persley said. 'We're not so big that things get too convoluted or territorial, and we're not so small that we don't have enough resources to bring to the table. I believe we have the answers to our community problems right here in Albany. We want to get the right people together and act on it. This is not just talking, this is acting.' The model does not use any protected health information or personal identifying information of Phoebe patients. It does collect de-identified violence-related injury data such as location, time, date and mechanism of injury. When combined with law enforcement data, the information helps create maps to hone in on where and when violence is most common. The model also provides a framework to implement collaborative violence prevention strategies. 'Violence is among the most common causes of traumatic injuries that we see in the Phoebe Trauma Center,' Dent said. 'Violence is truly a public health problem that needs to be addressed in a concerted and collaborative way, and that's what we are trying to accomplish with this conference.' One of the primary champions of the Cardiff Model in Atlanta is Daniel Wu, a professor of emergency medicine at Emory University and chief of emergency Medicine at Grady Health. Wu attended the Albany conference to share details of work that has been done in Atlanta, and he announced that Albany is one of three cities nationwide chosen to receive a $30,000 grant from the American Public Health Association to help implement the Cardiff Model here. 'In Albany, they have the ability to really make a difference,' Wu said. 'It's a unique partnership that's already advanced. The hospital and the chief of police are set up and partnering. Albany has all the right pieces at the table and is set up for success. This is just making our neighbors and communities better, and that's why we went into medicine.' The main goals of the conference are to identify additional community partners who should be involved, determine if there are ways to improve data collection and begin to develop specific plans to utilize the data to prevent violence in Albany. Leaders from Phoebe, the Albany Police Department, the CDC, Grady Health, Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia Department of Public Health and several social service agencies are participating in the conference at the Phoebe Simulation & Innovation Center on Phoebe's main campus.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Albany and Dougherty County law enforcement host first in series of Stop Youth Gun Violence seminars
ALBANY – The sound of a steady drumbeat flowed through the entrance of the Albany Police Department Saturday morning as about 10 young males sat in a circle finding rhythm together. They were led by Michael Harper, with Our Ancestral Voices LLC, in an effort to relax and connect before the start of the first ever session of End the Cycle: Stop Youth Gun Violence, hosted by the Albany Police Department and Dougherty County Sheriff's Office. About 35 more boys ages 8 to 16 piled into the APD conference room to hear from various black male community leaders from the city, the county district attorney's office, church organizations and more. 'This is the Sheriff's Office giving back to the community, reaching out to our youth to try to get them more engaged, educated and involved in what's going on,' Dougherty County Sheriff Terron Hayes said. 'We're trying to teach them that gangs, guns, drugs are not welcome here.' Hayes said participants organized the session to feature speakers from all steps of legal proceedings related to gang, gun violence or homicide cases. It began with a skit, featuring four high school volunteers acting out a drug-related crime, resulting in two gunshot deaths. Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler addressed the youths first, carrying a body bag. He sat the bag in front of two boys at the front of the room. 'That's one thing I hate: going to a family's house because some kind of … senseless killing that didn't have to happen, happened,' Fowler said. The coroner talked about the crime scenes he shows up to. He acknowledged illegal drug sales or gun ownership he knows is prevalent among youths. 'If you are involved in that kind of thing … nine times out of 10 you're going to wind up in jail or you're going to wind up in this body bag,' he said. Hayes said they wanted the youths to understand the dangers of guns and the consequences of what happens when they make the decision to come in contact with them. Fowler asked the room if they knew who he saw at the homicide cases he responded to. 'Us,' he said. 'Black men. I don't know why. It doesn't make sense. I don't want to zip another body bag up with you in it … with your brother in it … your daddy in it.' Fowler told the boys in the room that they have to make the decision not to involve themselves with crime – that they decide the legacy they'll leave behind. With the concept of legacies in mind, the boys heard from Monroe Comprehensive High School senior Avenn Smith. The 18-year-old learned in December that he was awarded the prestigious Marine Option Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Scholarship. He was the only Georgia student to receive the $180,000 scholarship, which he plans to use at Tuskegee University to train to become a U.S, Marine Corps Officer and aviator. Smith was originally just a participant in the skit, but as he heard from the speakers and about gun violence disproportionately affecting black males in the community, he said he felt moved to address the attendees. 'What names are we making for ourselves?' he said. 'If we want to make change, we have to start now. So I thought 'What can I do?' I'm blessed to be in the position I'm in. I wanted to encourage other people instead of keeping it in for myself.' Smith spoke to those gathered about being more than just a 'noun,' involving themselves in school and extracurriculars, taking on positions of positive leadership within their schools and communities. He said he believes initiatives like Saturday's seminar will make a difference. 'Us kids go through a lot … have a lot of mental things … and stress we take on,' Smith said. 'Having a place like this opening opportunities for kids to be able to talk to different people in the community is amazing. We can network and build connections with leaders in the community so we know … later on down the line we have people to talk to.' Smith said he hopes his peers walk away from Saturday knowing they don't have to resort to violence, gangs and guns to get their point across. 'You can't go around with a gun, trying to effect change or trying to show your dominance,' he said. 'If you go get your education, it's going to get you further than the gun.' Phyllis Jackson, a new Albany resident, brought her 12-year-old son to the Saturday session. Jackson's family recently moved from Atlanta, where she runs a youth mentor program called Elevating Young Kings, which has a goal of developing the lives and minds of young males ages 5 to 16. She said the Stop Youth Gun Violence meeting was the first thing she'd seen in Albany like her Atlanta program. 'This is definitely something important,' she said. 'For the city to take time out to do it, we should definitely be showing up for things like this because it affects our community's future.' Jackson said it seems like picking up guns is the go-to for many of today's youths. 'I don't think they understand how serious and life-changing it is for everyone involved,' she said. 'I hope this makes them more aware of what's going on around them … what they should look out for.' Hayes said addressing gangs and gun violence is one of his priorities as he takes on the sheriff's role. More programming similar to this seminar will be rolling out this year, he said, including the creation of a Stop the Violence Youth Advisory Board. The city's law enforcement will host another Stop Youth Gun Violence session for young girls on March 29. Then, it will bring both groups together for a final seminar. 'We're just getting started,' he said. 'We're going to get bigger and better.' Youth participated in a drum circle to relax and connect before discussing gun violence among their peers. Staff photo: Lucille Lannigan
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Yahoo
Two arrested after Albany man nearly scammed out of 37,000 dollars
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Two suspects are in custody after attempting to scam an Albany man out of over $35,000, authorities said. According to the Albany Police Department, a man told them that sometime around Christmas he believes his phone got a virus after clicking a link in a solitaire app. After he clicked the link, the man said he started receiving calls from someone named 'Chris Wilson' claiming to be a PayPal employee and telling him that his personal information was compromised. Meth, 'baby bottle drug pipe' found during Clark County search warrant Shortly after, the man said he was contacted by two other people named 'Eddy Cooper' and 'Mack Jones' who said they worked for the Edward Jones financial department and that the man had 'been hacked into' and $37,500 had been stolen. The suspect then told the man he needed to deposit an equal amount of money to 'mirror' the money that was stolen so they could void the transaction. Police said the victim was then told to deposit $10,000 into a Bitcoin Depot Kiosk where 'Mack' had set up an account for him. After depositing the $10,000, the man was then told to have the rest of the money at his home where a courier would pick it up the next day. Finally, the man became suspicious and contacted police which is when authorities said they set up a sting operation. On Feb. 4, a white BMW arrived with two suspects inside to pick up the money, and an adult man, known as 'Tom,' came to the door. Bob's Red Mill announces closure of restaurant, retail store After providing a passcode to an undercover officer 'Tom,' who was later identified as Yong Xue was taken into custody. The car's driver, Zhen He, was also taken into custody. Police said that the two men are Chinese nationals and that their consulate was notified and the FBI and Assistant United States Attorney were also contacted to help investigate. Authorities said they believe there could be more victims and anyone who recognizes the suspects or who has had similar interactions is asked to contact Albany police. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
