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New Law Would Help Police Track Parolees

Police in the city of Troy may soon get a bit of "enforcement assistance" with a new local law that supporters say would help control crime.  

Troy's City Council has been discussing creating a registration program for parolees that would require individuals fresh out of prison who take up residence in town to register with the Chief of Police.

Councilwoman Nina Nichols chairs Troy's Public Safety Committee - she says registration would offer a valuable tactical tool the police department could use. Registrants would be issued ID cards. The measure excludes anyone convicted of a misdemeanor as well as individuals granted "youthful offender" status. Neighboring cities including Albany, Rensselaer and Watervliet have similar laws on the books.

Nichols points out that annually some 150 parolees settle down in Rensselaer County. City Council President Lynn Kopka says the legislation is now in finance committee. The registry will NOT be retroactive - it will apply to new releases only.

Kopka says the law will require parolees to provide the chief of police with -the name by which they are known, as well as any aliases; all past and new addresses, the penal institution they were released from and the crimes for which they were last imprisoned. She expects the measure will pass.

Nichols adds that 7 to 10 parolees arrive in Troy each month: she anticipates the only expense to taxpayers will be the cost of producing the identification cards.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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