ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A former Rochester mayor says politics and public safety have mixed to create the kind of violent crime in Rochester that he's never seen before.

Bob Duffy is writing to the legislature to call for immediate change.

Duffy, the former chief of the Rochester Police Department and New York's former lt. governor, challenged the criminal justice reforms that some say have cleared the way for violent offenders to be released. 

"The basic line is this — if someone is carrying illegal guns on the street that [was] involved in shootings, serious assaults, carjackings, weapons possessions, they should not walk out a few hours later and do it again and again and again," said Duffy. "I do think there's data out there from the city and county where that tends to happen. I think that's the hole that needs to be plugged at some point. It really requires some thoughtful discussion, data, analytics and hopefully some leadership." 

Duffy, who currently serves as head of Rochester's Chamber of Commerce, called for an emergency session of the legislature. Lawmakers have, so far, made no plans to hold one.