The city of Poughkeepsie is enhancing its efforts to stop gun violence following a string of recent shootings.

Four people have been shot and killed this year in the city of Poughkeepsie.

A 28-year-old was shot dead Aug. 9. Later that day, a 44-year-old man was shot. Hours later, there was gunfire near a park.

"It's not just the city of Poughkeepsie. These incidents impact the entire area, our county, neighboring communities, and the region. No one wants to see or hear about violence," says Mayor Rob Rolinson.

The city is adding more ways to protect citizens from violence, according to Rolison. This includes strengthening already existing partnerships with other law enforcement agencies.

"Public safety is the first priority of any government. It has always been a priority of this government," he says.

Two Dutchess County sheriff's deputies and four New York state troopers will now be patrolling high crime areas many days of the week. They're also installing 10 license plate reader cameras to help police investigations.

Police Chief Tom Pape is hearing from some that the extra boots on the ground are already having a positive impact since starting last week.

"If we can make our residents feel safer and be safer, then I feel like I'm doing my job properly," he says. 

While the city is fighting crime, it's also dealing with low police numbers.

News 12 was told there are currently 81 officers on the force, below 92 to be fully staffed, which could take many months before it's reached.

"When we're fully staffed and we've got these people in place, the situation becomes much better for everyone here in the city," says Rolinson.