City Violence Leads To State Of Emergency

Joint Statement from Mayor Lovely A. Warren & City Council Vice President and Public Safety, Recreation and Human Services Chair Willie J. Lightfoot Regarding the Proclamation of a State of Emergency in the City of Rochester to address Ongoing Violence in our Community

Our Rochester Police Department has been working with its local, state and federal law enforcement partners to expand their efforts to target those individuals committing violence in our city. We have also been working with the City law department to determine what emergency powers we can exercise. Today, Mayor Warren is declaring a local state of emergency to ensure additional resources are brought to bear with one clear goal: removing violent offenders from our neighborhoods.

These individuals have already committed crimes, are wanted for additional crimes and are most likely to be perpetrating the violence we’re seeing today. This action ensures we are doing all we can to remove these violent criminals from our streets.

We are grateful to Governor Hochul for agreeing to provide additional State Troopers to Rochester to actively expand this effort. This builds upon the work led by the U.S. Marshalls, RPD and the Monroe County Sheriff that began this summer.

In addition, we have asked our State and County partners for further resources to provide more mental health and violence disruption services. We must actively attack this crisis from all angles.

We also need our residents to step up and protect their neighborhoods as well. If you see something, say something, call 911 and report it. None of us can tolerate what is happening. The costs are, and have been, too great.

Lastly, as people of faith, we call upon God to watch over Rochester, bring peace to its people and give us all the strength to do what is necessary. We also pray for all those we have lost and their families. May God provide them with solace and grace.

Gun Violence Emergency Proclamation 11.12.21 FINAL