ROCHESTER, N.Y. — After a record number of homicides in 2021, Rochester’s new mayor says he’s taking a new approach to try and bring those numbers down.
Malik Evans is far from the first Rochester mayor to stand before a microphone and address a new plan to end an age-old problem. Thursday, Evans announced he would centralize the city’s violence prevention programs.
"We can never as a community stop saying that violence is unacceptable," said Evans. "We have to work with all levels of government to solve this problem."
The newest component to the new mayor’s new plan focuses on taking the city’s many anti-violence initiatives and putting them under one city hall office. The coordinated effort will narrow the focus.
"Work is being accomplished," said Victor Saunders, the city’s violence prevention advisor. "They just need a little more assistance but we will be very cohesive and our approach."
Eighty-one people were murdered in Rochester last year. In the past week, a 3-year-old child was shot in one of two triple shootings. The night before Saunders was to start his job, one of his former students was murdered. He was 14.
Up until this point, most of the city's anti-violence programs have operated separately. The mayor says they've done a good job, but he says that's not the most effective way of doing things.
"We have to make sure is that we are honest with ourselves and are transparent," said Evans. "If something isn't working, I’m going to come and tell you that it's not working, and we need to try something different."
Evans says reducing violent crime has many facets. Young people need jobs and opportunities and distractions from the streets.
"I think we cannot just look at it from the lens of what is law enforcement doing," said Miguel Melendez, city council president. "It also is, what does the community do what programs can we put in place? How do we reach people? How do we build relationships?"
While officials know there is no easy way to get there, Rochester’s new mayor says it’s a start.
"We are still a safe city," said Evans. "In any urban environment you will have crime, but the key is, we have to make sure that we don't accept it."