BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – More than one hundred city residents packed into City Hall for a public safety meeting aimed at addressing a rising crime problem.

Police Chief Mark Kerns ,along with Lt. Jarret LeClair, Sgt. Danielle Price and Detective Jason Streeter, spoke candidly about the many issues facing the city.

In September a teenager was murdered in Ogdensburg, and earlier this month a woman shot a man with a shotgun. While the victim received only minor injuries, police say it’s clear that the city is on edge.

Kerns said the city is currently flooded with crystal meth and fentanyl, and Ogdensburg has seen a major increase in the homeless population. He said police have sent various drugs to crime labs for testing that have come back positive for fentanyl, including marijuana and cocaine.

Kerns said that these problems occurred alongside deep cuts to the city police force, which once had an investigative unit of five detectives, but is now down to just one.

Kearns said just a few years prior the small department was very successful in busting meth labs, but that’s actually come back to hurt the city. That’s due to a federal law which prohibits those who’ve been involved with manufacturing meth from obtaining housing assistance.

Kearns said that anyone associated with making meth is unable to receive that assistance, leaving them with fewer options to find a permanent living space.

He said while meth labs have largely died out, that's because criminals are getting meth through the mail.

LeClair spoke at length about the massive strain on the department, which is often fielding just two patrols during a night shift.

He said the department is struggling to keep up with major crimes, let alone smaller crimes. He said that a revolving door for small offenses has the department flooded with paperwork for criminals who aren’t seeing any repercussions. Worse yet, LeClair said the criminals know it.

He said that the city's lack of detectives make it nearly impossible to build drug cases, as the former narcotics detective is dealing with an abundance of sex crimes, which LeClair said take priority.

LeClair urged residents to do what they can to reduce the strain on the force and themselves by taking basic precautions.

He said locking doors and securing valuables alone can be a major deterrent. He said criminals aren’t breaking into locked vehicles, but rather the unlocked ones.

He said he knows people shouldn’t have to lock their doors, but he said the reality is that times have changed and they need to be proactive.

LeClair said calling out people who are on properties where they shouldn’t be is often enough to send the criminals on their way, but said reporting crimes in progress is also important.

Sgt. Price urged community members to take action by working together with the police department to form organized crime watch groups.

Residents in attendance who were interested in helping were urged to share names and contact information. Price said she would reach out to interested parties and help them get organized and connected.

She told residents that photographs, license plate numbers and reporting suspicious activity to establish patterns were some of the evidence that can help police make arrests.

Although the meeting was civil, frustration from police and residents was hanging heavy in the air. Residents questioned why known drug houses weren’t raided. Others asked how far they could take matters into their own hands, but many also asked what they could do.

While the neighborhood watch idea seemed to have some appeal, residents also seemed interested in seeing the city council add additional police officers.

City Councilor Dan Skamperle urged those in attendance to share their feelings at the next city council meeting.

Although invited, Sen. Mark Walczyk and Assemblyman Scott Gray were not in attendance  although a representative from Walczyk’s office did attend.

Rick Engle, a St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Investigator who is running unopposed for the Sheriff’s position, was in attendance, as was SLC District Attorney Gary Pasqua. Although Ogdensburg’s County Legislators David Forsythe and James Reagen were not present, Legislator Joseph Lightfoot, who represents neighboring Oswegatchie, was in attendance. Sam Burns,  chairman of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority's Board of Directors, was also at the meeting.

City council candidates Michael Weaver, Donna Trim and Mayoral candidate Michael Tooley were in attendance as well.

LeClair told residents he was hopeful some good ideas would come from the meeting and said additional meetings will be held in the future.