ROCHESTER, N.Y. —  There’s a call for the city of Rochester to take aggressive measures to fight crime. This comes after the fatal shooting of a Rochester police officer last week and two homicides over the weekend.

“This madness has to stop,” Monroe County Legislator Mercedes Vazquez Simmons said. “There's now a lack of respect for life that has reached just a different level. I've never seen a city in such disarray.”

What You Need To Know

  • There’s a call for the city of Rochester to take aggressive measures to fight crime

  • Monroe County Legislator Mercedes Vazquez Simmons is urging the use of a curfew and the National Guard

  • Vazquez Simmons also believes in a multi-faceted approach to crime prevention, including programming and job creation

Vazquez Simmons, who grew up in the northeast quadrant of the city, runs the Latino Youth Development and Resource Center.

Young people living in what’s known to be among the most dangerous areas of the city visit the center for counseling, activities, sports and more.

“That's my biggest concern, on a daily basis, is the young people, the innocent kids,” said Vazquez Simmons. 

She also says that one of the young people who attends her program is the 15 year old that was hit with a bullet late Thursday – when police say 17 rounds were fired at two Rochester police officers – killing one of them. 

“What's happening in the city, we're in a crisis and if we don't take drastic measures, it's going to continue,” Vazquez Simmons said. “It's going to be a bloody summer."

And what drastic measures are Vazquez Simmons referring to?

“I'd like to see a curfew being implemented,” she said. “Certainly having police presence [and the] National Guard. I think we've thought we were at that point where we need to bring in a National Guard.”

Just hours before Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz was killed in the line of duty, Mayor Malik Evans implemented an emergency declaration to allow for more resources to tackle gun violence. He opened the door to new ideas – but is not on board with the National Guard’s help.

“Well, that's DEFCON three, you just don't bring in the National Guard, willy nilly,” Evans said. “This is something that we will work out with our law enforcement partners. We are collaborating with the U.S. Attorney’s office. We are collaborating with the U.S. Marshals office. We are collaborating with the New York State Police, Monroe County Police and Rochester Police Department. We have the manpower necessary to be able to coordinate to get things done.”

“Absolutely, the presence, their presence and it has to be with a curfew, but we also have to take a multifaceted approach of providing services along with it," said Vazquez Simmons.

“These are deep-seated issues,” Evans said. “There are no silver bullets. So, you know, the National Guard, if you brought them in, they wouldn't come in and solve everything like that we have to deal with the issues here that we have on the ground here.”

"The mayor’s got his work cut out, but we’re here to support him in anything he feels has to happen in the city,” Vazquez Simmons said. “Were here to support him.”