ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester’s new interim police chief is one week into the job, and is implementing some changes.

“Yeah, I'm here to keep the ship on track,” Interim Chief David Smith said. “There are some short-term things we need to do.”

What You Need To Know

  • Interim Rochester Police Chief David Smith talks about his priority list one week into the job

  • Smith's plan to tackle the spike in violence is to continue to target known violent offenders

  • He said a main issue for the department is staffing, and he is working on recruitment efforts

Settling into the office of the chief of the Rochester Police Department, Smith is preparing to move forward with his list of priorities for the department.

“Staffing right now is the biggest issue," Smith said. "Recruiting and retention is an issue nationwide. It's not just a Rochester Police Department problem. And certainly, we were not defunded, let's be clear. We have the same number of positions. But the issue is through retirements and transfers to other departments, we have a manpower shortage.”

Smith says an additional recruitment training classes will be added in the spring as part of the effort to deal with the staffing shortage.  

"We have to look at doing more with less,” he said. “And unfortunately, we're going to have to take a hard look at what we do and is it really critical? Obviously, violence is a priority and safety is a priority.”

How will he manage the problem of the recent spike in violence in the community?  

“I think the best thing to do is what we've been doing, that the public is receptive to and that seems to work very well is, you know, targeting our known violent offenders that we know are committing crimes out there,” Smith said. “And some of them, even when they are wanted for one offense, and maybe waiting for court they're committing more offenses. So those are the ones we want to go after. And then in conjunction with our federal partners seeking, when and where appropriate, federal prosecution to see where we get the most bang for our buck.”

That includes operations like the one earlier this month in the city, where several police agencies worked together to arrest 26 people and seizing large quantities of drugs and weapons.

“It's been working very well, but it's a slow process,” Smith said. “It takes time sometimes to locate these people.”  

And where does this interim chief fall on issues like bail reform and the Less is More Act?

“Well, where I fall is, I can tell you that I don't do politics in this position,” he said. “But I can tell you that both bail reform, Less is More, I mean, they were needed, to some degree. But, clearly, the intent was to keep persons who were arrested for minor offenses from waiting in jail for their hearings to come up. I think the way it is working now is outside the scope of what was intended. And I definitely don't think it needs to be revisited.”

Smith says one of his top priorities is the health and well-being of the officers, so he's introducing an officer wellness program.

"We all know what these officers go through on a daily basis, and the support just isn't there for them all the time,” Smith said. “We need to have a comprehensive counseling program that includes confidentiality, for the employees, which has always been an issue with our past programs.”

The 30-year RPD veteran is here on an interim basis, saying he will serve where he’s needed.

“I would expect that there will be a nationwide search at some point,” he said. “There will be a new chief and a new executive deputy chief to come in and move the department forward.”

Whether Smith’s stay is long term or not, he does have a message for his officers and for the community.

“Well, my main message for both the rank and file and the public is that the officers in this department are working very hard,” Smith said. “And I know it. Sometimes we don't often get the time to acknowledge it. But you know we see the great work that's being done every day.”