The Albany County District Attorney’s office announced several reforms and nearly $1 Million in grant money left unspent by the previous DA’s administration.
Among the accomplishments listed Kindlon’s office says they’ve sent 58 people who’ve possessed a gun illegally to jail since January. “Gun crime is a surge on our streets, it is perpetrating violence so everything I can do to get people who have been convicted of illegal gun possession, get those gun guns off the streets get those individual off the streets“ said Kindlon.
They’re also getting their finances in order. Kindlon says an audit of the DA’s office led to the discovery of five unused state grants totaling over $982,000. The money will go to the office’s anti violence and victim support programs. “It was basically just sitting on the shelf. We were able to take control of it grants that have been languishing and an unaccounted for, and other grants totaling more than $300,000” said Kindlon.
How did the grant money end up — in his words — “sitting on the table”?
“I’m not entirely sure why the previous administration chose not to fill out all the paperwork to get more than $600,000 in grant money” Kindlon explained. “This is money that had been allocated planned and spent so if the paperwork hadn’t been done it was money that ultimately the taxpayer was going to be on the hook for” he continued.
In addition the DA announced office restructurings including a reestablished financial crimes bureau to tackle white collar crime. An expanded partnership with the attorney general’s office, and a regional task force on organized retail crime. His office is focusing
