ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB)— Dozens of residents gathered at the First Presbyterian Church on State Street to discuss community safety and offer suggestions for improvement. The meeting, closed to the media to protect speakers and encourage open dialogue, was attended by local leaders and community members.
Richard Conti, Sixth Ward Common Council member, expressed hope for productive discussions. “I hope we hear from the community in terms of some of the concerns, issues out there,” he said. “And we want to identify resources that can be of assistance to those concerns. And also what we hear can assist in developing policy and responses as we move forward.”
Youth violence was a significant topic, with many emphasizing the importance of youth involvement. Lukee Forbes, executive director of We Are Revolutionary, highlighted the need for actionable solutions. “No one’s providing actual solutions for our young people, which is why our young people came here with their safety plan,” he said. “They came here and they talked about actually allocating resources to organizations like ours who has been able to impact the young people.”…