Newburgh police are taking dramatic steps to curb a yearlong surge of violent crime by launching a gun violence task force.

The group will attempt to come up with ways to get gun violence under control, especially among teens.

For now, officers say they are stepping up hot-spot policing to target areas of high crime and expand their presence using local, state, and federal officers.

The tipping point for this new decision was a shooting that sent four teens to the hospital on Wednesday. That shooter is still at large.

"It is time for us to take charge of our city. This is our youth. This is not people from outside coming in. This is us creating this trauma to ourselves,” said Newburgh Police Department Commissioner Jose Gomerez. 

Students will return to classes at Newburgh Free Academy on Monday after the shooting forced the school district to shut down those three campuses Thursday and Friday. 

MORE: Newburgh school closed today after 4 teens shot