The Tompkins County Legislature unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday, July 19th, implementing armed Sheriff’s deputies to provide security at the Human Services Building.
The plan, seemingly fast tracked through various county committees, is a response to a number of violent incidents both within and in the immediate area around the Human Services building. The measure met with reluctant approval, with a number of legislators expressing frustration with the City of Ithaca’s apparent failure to adequately manage crime in the area around Human Services.
Legislator Greg Mezey called on City of Ithaca Mayor Laura Lewis to appear before the Legislature. “I think this is a failure on behalf of the city of Ithaca,” Mezey said. “I think this is yet again another example of the county picking up the tab for something the city doesn’t want to deal with.”
The full meeting can be viewed on the county’s YouTube page here.