Albany City holds public hearing on proposed Office of Violence Prevention; no public testimony

Albany City Clerk Shenica Jackson opened a public hearing at 11:02 a.m. on Local Law G of 2026, a proposal to create an Office of Violence Prevention and to amend Chapter 183 (Equity Agenda) of the City code relating to the violence prevention task force. "This public hearing is being held in support or in opposition of Local Law G of 2026, which is currently before the mayor for consideration," Jackson said as she explained the purpose of the session.

Jackson announced that Deputy Mayor Chris Ellis was present and that the hearing had been properly noticed and that the full text is posted on the city's website in the Common Council public hearings section. No one had signed up to speak in person or appeared to provide testimony, so the clerk recessed the hearing for five minutes to allow attendees time to arrive. When the hearing reconvened at about 11:10 a.m., Jackson again reported that no members of the public had arrived to offer comment and read the law's title and scope for the record.

After restating the law's purpose, Jackson closed the public hearing at 11:12 a.m. The proposed law remains before the mayor for consideration; no vote or formal action was taken during the hearing. Members of the public seeking the full text are directed to the Common Council section of the city's website, where the notice and text were posted for this hearing.