“Yesterday, the Governor issued an executive order declaring gun violence in New York State a disaster emergency, freeing up state resources and funds to better protect residents from this scourge. The Governor also proposed expanding summer employment programs to reach at-risk youth and improving statewide gun violence data research. While I support all efforts to end gun violence this epidemic will only be resolved if those that are closest to the problem in our community provide input for achievable solutions.Recently, I met with board members of the Oneida County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Foundation to discuss their "Bridge” Program, which looks to engage all members of our community with law enforcement through positive educational and community outreach.This working board knows that we all need to work together to have success and I commend them and all that they are working towards to curtail this devastating epidemic.

“I have always supported the gun ownership rights guaranteed to us by the Second Amendment. However, I cannot ignore the fact that lives are continuously and tragically cut short by gun-related violence. Over this past weekend, three Utica residents were shot and two perished. One of the victims was a 14-year-old who was shot by a 15-year-old. We can’t allow horrific incidents like these to continue to occur regularly and must act immediately to reach out to our youth through every mode possible to decrease their likelihood of involvement in violence.By investing in community outreach programs and offering summer job opportunities to at-risk youth, we can work to curtail gun-related incidents."