This is a Community Announcement from New York State Assemblymember Anna Kelles. It was not written by The Ithaca Voice. To submit community announcements, please send them to Matt Butler at mbutler@ithacavoice.com.
There have been continual conversations around dinner tables, at our jobs, in the news, and in our government to address the rising crime we have seen and experienced during COVID in our communities, and across the state and the country. Assemblymember Kelles has been actively engaged in conversations with stakeholders on the issue, including with the Vera Institute of Justice. Through all of the conversations, there has been one underlying question, “What are the factors underlying these trends so what actions taken can truly improve public safety?”
In the spirit of this exploration, the Assemblymember will host a virtual town hall with the Vera Institute of Justice on public safety for Tompkins and Cortland Counties on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. via Zoom.
A panel, which will include members of our justice community, community-based service providers, and faith leaders, will discuss public safety as viewed through a fact-based, solution-oriented lens and engage in a discussion of solutions that can prevent crime before it happens. The town hall will explore the causes of the public safety issues we are seeing and how we can collectively build a safer community.
The link to the Zoom is here: https://verainstitute.zoom.us/s/99143686637