OSWEGO, NY— City of Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow has proposed a $90,000 grant to increase police patrols within the Port City. The new patrols will be called “quality-of-life patrols” and will be conducted on foot by Oswego City Police Department every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening. The proposal for more policing in the city comes after a recent increase in the number of night time disturbances reported to the Oswego City Police.

Some students from the SUNY Oswego fear the new patrols will be specifically targeting students. Julian Martinez, a junior finance major at SUNY Oswego said, “Why now? Why increase the patrols now? After all these years of having the college involved in the community what debauchery is occurring to make them increase the patrols?”

Martinez believed the patrols will be mainly focusing on student activity. He noted many Oswego State students are most active in the city on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. The same nights the quality of life patrols will be conducted.

Other students feel the patrols will help make the city a safer place for students. Senior, business-administration major Az Wilson said, “ It’s going to be better. It’s going to make the city a lot safer. I think it would help protect some of our students who go out on those nights as well.”

Mayor Barlow said the quality-of-life patrols are not meant to target students and he feels having police walking the streets at night will benefit the city, as well as university students. Barlow said he wanted “boots on the ground” to make sure city codes were being enforced and to ensure no large disturbances affected the city on its busiest nights. 

Mayor Barlow also hopes the quality-of-life patrols will create a stronger relationship between the city police and the residents of the city.

Barlow said, “We know the relationship between police and public can be strained at times and I believe the best way to improve that relationship is to get the police out of the station, out of the cop car, walking in the parks, walking in the neighborhoods, and collecting data, but also forming relationships with our community members.” 

Mayor Barlow said the Oswego City Police Department already has a good relationship with the community it serves, but more outreach can always be done.

The quality-of-life patrols have been funded for the rest of 2019 and all of 2020.

OSWEGO, NY— Oswego residents can prepare for a boost in tourism as construction begins for a new indoor waterpark. 

After receiving $10 million for downtown revitalization, Oswego has numerous projects with a goal to make the town more active. 

“It would definitely reel in a lot of people. I love indoor water parks and I’m sure a lot of other people do too. Since it’s indoors people can go any time of year. It’s not just the summertime, it’ll attract more people,” SUNY Oswego student Ana Sanchez said. 

Sanchez said in a place that is known for its cold, snowy weather, the waterpark will give people in the town more options, especially in the winter. 

“I would definitely go any time of the season, no matter what it is. Definitely Christmas time when it’s cold, the snow is up here, the wind. I would definitely like to be in an indoor waterpark,” said Sanchez. 

The waterpark could be a great addition to the town of Oswego, and especially for the waterbugs who still enjoy a good swim in the freezing Oswego winters. 

Residents should prepare their bathing suits and water shoes for the opening, which should be determined soon. 

Other projects from the money awarded from the downtown revitalization fund are the riverwalk, and the renovation of the Children’s Museum of Oswego (CMOO).