The multi-agency police surge in Kingston that began in early August as a response to an uptick in shootings is now being scaled back, with Chief Egidio Tinti declaring the effort a success. The effort included state troopers, sheriff’s deputies, Kingston city and Ulster town police, as well as staffers from the district attorney’s office. Putting more police officers on the streets to prevent crime and to solve crimes that had already been committed worked.
Tinti described “a three-prong approach” made up of “uniformed, street-level patrols, narcotics investigations, and community outreach.” The surge had been expected to last for ten weeks but stretched closer to twelve.
The targeted effort was based “upon intelligence garnered from ongoing investigations of drug trafficking and gun violence,” according to District Attorney David Clegg.
From the beginning, there had been differing opinions regarding the increased police presence, especially during a time of widespread calls for alternative approaches to traditional uniformed patrols. Some in the community felt the increased police presence was overbearing. Others applauded it as a proportionate response to the increase in gun violence that preceded it.
“The public has seen a large increase in visible policing,” said Tinti. “We are weaning off of that approach. Are the cops still out there stopping cars when they see probable cause violations? Absolutely. That’s going to continue. But the number of officers involved in that is going to be reduced.”
Has it worked?
“For me as the chief, I say this has been a success,” said Tinti. “The greatest success of it all, in addition to the drugs and other stuff taken off the street, was the opportunity for the police officers to engage the public.”
By the end of the program, the combined enforcement had engaged the public in 1400 traffic stops and field interviews, “all of which were based on some specific violation of the New York State vehicle or criminal law.” There were 214 arrests, with 149 related to drug or gun offenses.
Comparing to the twelve weeks prior to the joint law-enforcement effort, there was a 77 percent reduction in confirmed gun shots fired and a 43 percent reduction in firearm-related reported incidents. Year to year, during those twelve weeks, there was a 14 percent reduction in the same crimes.
That said, the shootings didn’t completely cease. On November 6, police were investigating a report of shots being fired in the area of 219 Downs Street at around 3 p.m. On October 28 they stated they were “presently investigating several reports of one or two shots being fired in the area between Clinton Avenue and Wall Street near the area of Henry Street.” One October 9 arrest provides an example of how an increased police presence led to solving another crime. That day, 19-year-old Jaylen M. Coliukos was arrested for possessing a loaded handgun and marijuana following a traffic stop by Kingston and state police. Police came to believe that Coliukos was responsible for shooting at a moving and occupied vehicle during an altercation near the intersection of Downs Street and Wiltwyck Avenue on October 1. He was later charged with first-degree reckless endangerment in connection with the shooting.
A shooting occured on October 7 in the area of Elmendorf Street between Broadway and Belvedere Street. Following an investigation, 19-year-old resident Jahsi M. Quiles was arrested. The following day, 21-year-old resident Matthew J. Harries was arrested.
A number of other shootings occurred in the past couple of months as well – one on October 4 near Wiltwyck Avenue and Downs Street, two on October 2, the first on Downs Street and the other in the area of Franklin and St. James Streets, and another on September 30 near Ravine Street.
Residents for and against
While some residents applauded the increased police presence, others felt it was too much.
Speaking at a September 10 virtual meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners, Michael Montella likened the effort to stop-and-frisk, calling it “disturbing” and “unconstitutional.” Rosemary Quinn called it “a hyperbolic response.”
Some comments made on arrest announcements on the KPD’s Facebook page were more laudatory. Users have responded recently with “Great job,” “Well done,” and “See what happens when you let police do their job.”
“I know there are pros and cons,” said Tinti. “Some of the members of the public say continue doing what you’re doing, some say they consider it to be overpolicing.”
Although there were more police officers present and more traffic stops were made, Tinti said the police did not make stops or conduct searches without reason. “There’s no ‘oh let’s see what they’re up to’ and stop the car,” said Tinti. “That’s the reasonable suspicion level.”
The Kingston Police Department uses not reasonable suspicion, but probable cause, which needs “a higher level of proof.”
Tinti says the officers in the partnership required a higher burden. “Stop and frisk is not the tactic that our law enforcement partnership was about,” said Tinti. If they had been using reasonable-suspicion level, it would have been considered stop and frisk, conceded the chief.
“The question is when is too much, too much,” said Tinti. “If we were going out there with a zero-tolerance mentality where everyone was getting ticketed, yeah, let’s be real.”
What’s next
Back in early August when the joint partnership commenced, Mayor Steve Noble said the city was “doing everything we can to instill a sense of safety back in our community for all of our residents.”
The Police Department is now on the third aspect of its approach, which is community outreach. Starting on Monday, November 9 the department began putting police officers out in the community to engage with the public in an assigned area for an allotted amount of time during the day.
“A certain number of officers were able to help patrol and keep the community safe,” said Tinti. “What we’re asking for now is for the community to give us a hand with that. If they see something in the neighborhood, tell us.”
An anonymous tip line can be reached at 331-4499 as well as a TipSubmit website.
With the nationwide push for police reform, Tinti said the department was trying “to build the rapport and trust on a local level” by “opening the dialogue.”
Tinti said that the increased number of shootings could have stemmed from a number of different reasons: the Covid-19 pandemic, a different family make-up, violent media or a lack of gun control, money or education. “We want the public to know this is about helping them,” said Tinti.
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