ROCHESTER, N.Y. — According to new data from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, violent gun crime is down in virtually every city across upstate New York.
Law enforcement welcomes the news, but says it’s still not good enough.
“Public safety and violence prevention remains an all-hands-on-deck here at the city of Rochester," said Rochester Mayor Malik Evans. "Nobody here says 'it's not my job' when it comes to public safety."
The hard work seems to be paying off, as Rochester is seeing a significant decrease in the number of people shot this year.
Despite incidents like a mass shooting of seven people at a park this summer that left two dead, there have been fewer people shot in Rochester – 142 compared to 217 at the same time last year.
“It's everybody's job because every department in City Hall has a role to play in our strategy of prevention, intervention, suppression and accountability," Evans said. "It's everybody's job, and it's everybody's highest priority."
The numbers were released by Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE). It’s sponsored through the Division of Criminal Justice Services, which provided funds for communities and law enforcement agencies to combat gun violence.
The stats show a similar trend across the state.
The year-to-date comparison for a decrease in shootings has Rochester with the biggest drop at 75 fewer shootings. The list includes Buffalo with four fewer, Syracuse 26, Utica 10 and Troy at 13.
“There is not a day that goes by that I'm not reminded of the human suffering that lies beneath these numbers," Evans said. "They keep me up at night. And I personally know many of those who have been affected by gun violence and have gotten to know many more in the aftermath of many of these incidences. That's why it matters to me."
A few cities, however, are seeing an increase, including Albany, which is up by 11 shootings.
“Last year we had a record decrease in shootings in those same categories," Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins said. "We were close to 30% decreases in shootings and shooting victims last year. And so, when the statistics come out and it says and they show that we have a slight increase over last year, that's in comparison to a record year. Now, when you look at where we were over the five-year average for our shootings and shooting victims, we have a clear decrease and it shows very clearly, that the slope is going down."
Leaders agree that having the data is helpful, but until the number of shootings hits zero, then the mission won’t be accomplished.
“No matter if it's in relation to a record year or not, we're very, very concerned when anybody gets shot or when we have any shooting incident,” said Hawkins.
Evans said it’s about perception – a city is only safer when it feels safer.