Governor Hochul: “A lot of places, a lot of parts of our city do feel vibrant and alive, and they're humming. But not every street, not every corner. And I want to focus on the fact that, yes, so crime statistics are heading downward. That is a good accomplishment, and thank everyone who's been involved. They're down 12 percent overall. Statewide, crimes are down dramatically. Shootings are down. But it's all about perception of reality, and how we can work together to give people that stronger sense of security. So I've offered additional money over the last few years.”

Hochul: “A narrative that Albany is a crime ridden city is false. False. But I want to make sure, and I challenged everyone to tell me what success looks like. How will we know when we're there? I'm going to stay committed to this until that objective is achieved. Where people in this city, visitors, residents, businesses, all have that foundation of security that they deserve. One crime can be frightening. We have to get to a place where this city feels stable, safe and secure. And that is what I'm committed to with these resources and the continuation of support from our State Police.”

Earlier on Feb 25th, Governor Kathy Hochul announced $19.5 million in State investments to improve public safety in Albany, including a new $1 million commitment to the City of Albany Police Department and $500,000 for the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. Governor Hochul’s announcement came after convening a roundtable with local elected officials and public safety leaders to discuss a comprehensive plan to reduce crime in the City of Albany.

B-ROLL of the Governor’s roundtable is available to stream on YouTube here and in TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4) format.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Good morning. All across the State of New York, there are tens of thousands of people dedicated to serving in law enforcement, protecting their communities. I had a chance to meet with a number of representatives from the Albany Police Department this morning and hear from their mouths, the people who are literally on the streets, walking the beat, of what their concerns are and how we can all work together as a city, county, state, and a region to improve the quality of life here in the great City of Albany.

You know I love this city. I may not have been born here, but I've spent more time here than any other city after my home birth. This city means a lot to me. I love the history, the character, the people, the businesses, and the fact that it's the center of government for us is an enormous point of pride.

When I hear from residents and business owners and others who are visitors on a weekly basis, that there is an underlying concern about safety. I need to find out what's going on and how I can be the best partner for them. Extraordinary work is being done by the City Police Department and the Sheriff's Department and the D.A.'s office and our elected leaders, the mayor, the county executive, district attorney, sheriff, our officials from the state, our assembly members.

But I wanted to have the opportunity today to bring everybody together and talk about a path forward, how we can restore the sense and perception of public safety that is so necessary here.

And I'm going to continue other investments. $400 million is in my budget right now. And I need support from this entire community to help me get this over the finish line in the next few months during our negotiations. We're talking about $150 million for the State Museum – a place I take my granddaughter to when she visits.

Funding the next phase of 787. The ON-RAMP Center, the College of Saint Rose's campus, which is going to be extraordinary. A lot of places, a lot of parts of our city do feel vibrant and alive, and they're humming. But not every street, not every corner. And I want to focus on the fact that, yes, so crime statistics are heading downward. That is a good accomplishment, and thank everyone who's been involved. They're down 12 percent overall.

Statewide, crimes are down dramatically. Shootings are down. But it's all about perception of reality, and how we can work together to give people that stronger sense of security. So I've offered additional money over the last few years.

We've provided $47 million to the county and the city for law enforcement. Just last year, $18 million. This also covers our GIVE program, which is our gun involved program to make sure we get guns off the streets – that's been successful. Our SNUG programs, to have violence disruptor programs for young people. Let them know the alternatives.

The Project RISE, which helps community service organizations that provide mental health services. A lot of our challenges on our streets, whether it's New York City, Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, or Buffalo, stem from the fact that there are many people who are dealing with severe mental health crises that demonstrate they are no longer able to take care of themselves on our streets. And that is not compassionate to leave them there.

But I want to talk about the $1 million that I want to surge for the City of Albany Police Department. I want a stronger police presence. The officers I spoke to know the impact that they have when they're walking down a block. It gives people a sense of confidence, a sense of security.

So we'll assist with overtime. We'll cover overtime shifts to ensure overnight coverage is even more enhanced. We'll pay for new intelligence gathering technology. I have seen this work very successfully in other cities, and I want to make sure that we're having the state of the art, the best in class technology available here. I also want to provide the sheriff with $500,000 for personnel overtime pay, however he feels it needs to be used.

A narrative that Albany is a crime ridden city is false. False. But I want to make sure, and I challenged everyone to tell me what success looks like. How will we know when we're there? And I'm going to stay committed to this until that objective is achieved.

Where people in this city, visitors, residents, businesses, all have that foundation of security that they deserve. One crime can be frightening. We have to get to a place where this city feels stable, safe and secure. And that is what I'm committed to with these resources and the continuation of support from our State Police Superintendent James is here as well. And my entire team is committed to this.