City School District of Albany Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter joined Mayor Dorcey Applyrs, DrPH, and a broad coalition of community partners Wednesday as the mayor officially established the city's first Office of Violence Prevention.
"The signing of this legislation emphasizes our commitment to residents that the City of Albany is collectively invested in interrupting patterns of violence in our community," Dr. Applyrs said. "This is not just an undertaking by our law enforcement agencies and city officials. All community leaders who touch this work are at the table."
The Common Council unanimously approved the legislation to establish the new office in April.
The office will serve as the central coordinating body for the city’s anti-violence strategy, bringing together city departments, the school district, community organizations, violence interruption stakeholders and public safety partners under a unified approach. The office will support the development and implementation of community-based initiatives, ensuring alignment.
"Like our school district’s programs and supports, the Office of Violence Prevention will focus on stopping violence before it happens, addressing root causes and creating real pathways for stability, especially for our city's young people," Hochreiter said. "We are grateful to Mayor Applyrs for her leadership, and for including us in this vital work."
You can visit the city's website to read more about this historic initiative.