As Albany Police work to track down whoever is responsible for a murder outside a busy Stewart’s last week, and a mass shooting on the Fourth of July, they have some help on the streets. The Albany County Sheriff’s Department is deploying a team every day to make things safer for residents.

“We’re very focused on stemming that violence,” said Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple. “What’s going on is ridiculous and almost everybody we went after the other night was fighting with – there’s just no – it’s just absolute lawlessness is what’s occurring, and it’s sad.”

Apple said he’s moved six more of his people to Albany full-time, so now they’ve got a contingent of 18 people working every day.

“We’re filling the gaps where Albany can’t because of manpower or mandatory issues, whatever the case may be. We’re just doing our thing, and again, listen, we’re not looking – we’re just partnering with Albany, just like we partner with the state police and the FBI and everybody else.”

The Fourth of July shooting near Myrtle Avenue and Quail Street left six teenagers injured.

A shooting outside a busy Stewart’s on Delaware Avenue in Albany left a 21-year-old man dead.

The sheriff announced later that same week the arrests of 12 people on drug charges from what he called a proactive crime suppression detail in the city. He said drugs are connected to everything from robberies to guns.

“I think a lot of it is drug-related,” said Apple. “And anybody that says there aren’t gangs is on another planet, I mean, there’s gangs. It’s an issue.”

Apple has the manpower to be able to shift resources to help, he said, and he’s planning to meet with the Albany Police chief this week.