Albany commission candidate Lawrence McCray wants to make a safer east Albany

ALBANY — Lawrence McCray wants to change the narrative attached to east Albany — the area that makes up the Albany City Commission’s Ward I.

The Ward I commission candidate grew up on the eastside and watched the quality of life decline as issues like crime rates increased. You cross over to the other side of the river, and it’s a different Albany, McCray said.

However, he wants this to change. If you’re on this side of the river, you’re on the best side of the river, McCray said. East Albany needs leadership that drives this narrative and makes the eastside feel connected to the rest of the city.

“I’ve been around all the parts of Ward I, and I know what we’re missing,” McCray said. “I know the lack of love, the lack of care and the lack of attention. We need, in east Albany, to be able to feel as if we are a part of Albany.”

The 37-year-old is challenging incumbent Commissioner Jon Howard, who’s held his post since 1994. The commissioner was last challenged in 2007. Running against someone so cemented into the community is a humbling experience, McCray said, but he said the time is right for a change.

Albany’s been lacking leadership that engages with and consistently answers to the community in the last 29 1/2 years, he said.

“I’m dedicated to being attentive, being involved and being a part of new projects that take place in east Albany,” McCray said. “I can do more in my first year than what’s been done in the last 29.

“I want to be available to the community during the hardship, just as much as I’ll be involved during the happy times. We need leadership that’s going to push the energy that we are the best side and develop as if we are the best side.”

McCray said he has ideas to do this. They begin with safety and the area’s youth, he said. Developing safer neighborhoods in east Albany is one of his priorities.

The candidate said he wants to add more speed bumps, ensure that city property is maintained with proper lighting and camera systems, as well as increase community education on speed and gunshot detection cameras throughout Albany.

This extends to the Albany State University campus, where McCray said he is committed to working with school leadership in making it safer and “feel more like home,” for students.

McCray is all for the cameras and helping out the Albany Police Department in whatever ways possible, he said.

There are a lot of public misconceptions about the purpose of the speed cameras, McCray said. He wants to take a proactive stance where the community is educated about what they’re used for.

“Then, our criminals will think twice before they commit a crime, knowing they can’t get away with it,” he said.

McCray said he also wants to facilitate increased interactions between police officers and young people in east Albany. He speaks highly of those officers who have already committed themselves to being mentors within the community.

“Those officers take time with our kids in the community,” he said. “They’re not out to just lock our kids up.”

When officers are interacting in positive ways with the community — playing basketball, throwing a football — the kids are more receptive to them, McCray said. They feel like they can come to them.

Young people in east Albany need to have opportunities to stay active and away from criminal activities, McCray said.

“The youth are vital to the development of the city,” he said. “The only way we are going to attract bigger companies and private investors is if we clean up our city … and get the situation with our youth under control. Being able to keep them under control is keeping them active.”

McCray said he wants to prioritize recreational opportunities and maintain public facilities that allow kids to stay active. He’s worked as a youth coach and mentor for the last 19 years, he said, noting he saw a difference in the young peoples’ lives as they remained active in things like sports.

“All of those kids are thriving and still in school, still pursuing sports because that’s what was instilled in them,” McCray said.

He also started a mentorship program for young men in the community called the Independent Men of Business through which young boys can learn life skills and technical skills like carpentry.

Within this program and with the addition of partnerships with Albany Technical College and businesses like Home Depot, he said he sees the opportunity for constructing affordable houses in east Albany.

The candidate said he wants to create a program where several of these homes are constructed a year.

McCray said he sees other opportunities for development in east Albany, especially when it comes to recreational activities — both for the community and to attract people from outside of it.

One area in which he said he sees development potential is Paul Eames Park, which sits along the Flint River in east Albany. The park is easily accessible from U.S. Highway 82 and has 49 acres of space that could be turned into a number of attractions for the city if officials fixed the baseball facilities, turfed the football fields as well as added unique spaces like paintball courses, ax throwing facilities or even a water park.

“State-of-the-art is what you want to build with 49 acres,” McCray said. “There are endless ideas that can be implemented in that space.”

McCray said he looks forward to being a team player when it comes to pushing for ideas like the ones he’s proposing. It takes teamwork from the City Commission to make change, and he said he plans to commit himself to connecting with each city leader to make that happen.

McCray said his campaign journey hasn’t been easy. He’s had doors slammed in his face and flyers thrown back at him from constituents who are loyal to Howard. However, he said he believes he brings a younger perspective that is more in tune with the culture of the community.

He wants Ward I constituents to be open to the change that he’s willing to bring.

“Not changing will leave us in the same predicament for the next four years,” McCray said. “We’ll be complacent, and we’ll still be separated from Albany as a whole.

“I appreciate the time Jon Howard has spent serving this community, and I appreciate him allowing me to run against such a legacy. But it is time for a change. The community is ready for it.”

Special Photo Courtesy of Candidate