Beacon aims to help 'marginalized' residents with municipal IDs
A.J. Martelli
The City of Beacon is ensuring all of its residents will be able to obtain services which require identification.
The city will allow citizens to obtain municipal identification cards, after the proposal was approved unanimously by the Beacon City Council on Monday.
The cards will be accepted as proof of identity by city offices, including the police department, council member Jodi McCredo said.
“I think it serves a big benefit to help more people who feel marginalized not to feel marginalized,” said McCredo, who represents the third ward. “It helps more people reporting crimes, promotes a sense of community and makes people feel more included.”
Beacon becomes the fourth Hudson Valley city to approve a municipal identification program this year, following Poughkeepsie in July, Middletown in November and Kingston earlier this month.
Identification cards will be available to all Beacon residents. However, advocacy group Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson touted the value of the identification cards to the "most vulnerable community members" who could not otherwise obtain identification, including the homeless, undocumented immigrants, senior citizens and children. The group noted the cards will make it easier to do such things as see a doctor or open a bank account.
“The ID will make a big difference in the lives of many Beacon adults and children, including by making sure all parents can go to parent-teacher conferences and get library cards," said Ignacio Acevedo, lead organizer of Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson. "It will also make Beacon a stronger, more united community, and benefit all residents."
A.J. Martelli: amartelli@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4836, Twitter: @AJM_PoJoSports
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