POUGHKEEPSIE – A sea of several hundred Poughkeepsie residents, many belonging to youth related community groups, marched through the heart of the city, Friday, to call for an end to crime and violence that has been plaguing their streets.

The march was held to counteract a culture of violence which residents feel is permeating their neighborhoods.

The march was made possible by the City of Poughkeepsie in collaboration with the Poughkeepsie City School District, the Mayor’s Youth Council, and youth groups D.I.V.A.S. of Sister 2 Sister and Brother 2 Brother. What began on Forbus Street culminated in an afternoon of food and activities on the waterfront at Waryas Park

The march attracted hundreds

Mayor John Tkazyik

“We are proud of our city,” said Mayor John Tkazyik.  “We want a place where we can walk the streets safely at night and be able to encourage positive ideals for our young people.”

Tkazyik said the city is sending a message that there will be zero tolerance for negative behavior and criminal activity. “We want to see good things happen in the City of Poughkeepsie.”

Cofounder of D.I.V.A.S. of Sister 2 Sister, Inc. Jackie Clyburn, said the youth of the city rallied to offer a proclamation to the world.

 “The violence has to stop in the City of Poughkeepsie. Enough is enough with the gun violence.”

As an educator in the Poughkeepsie school system, Clyburn said that the kids are fed up with what they are subjected to and are yearning for constructive activities to keep them busy after school and this summer, “We’re letting the community know there are a lot of people who are for uniting against violence.”

Co-president of Brother 2 Brother and Poughkeepsie High school Junior Ira Ward said that it’s about getting people kids off of the streets and into the books. “I want to encourage people to get off the streets and drop their guns,” he said.

“I don’t understand why instead of destroying a person you can’t just build them up, this world needs as many great minds as we can get.”

City resident Jennifer Jones said she attended the rally because of her two daughters that are currently coming up through City of Poughkeepsie schools. With violence reaching all the way down to students as young as Middle School, she said that it’s time for this type of behavior to stop because it is the kids who are going to be our future.