Mayor Lovely Warren and Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli released crime statistics for last year. According to the report, part one crime (the category for major crimes) are at their lowest levels in 25 years.
The RPD is reporting the lowest violent crime levels in 10 years. Robbery,assault, property crime, burgalery, and larsonary are all at 25-year-lows.
Chief Ciminelli says to date, their homicide clearance rate is at 84 percent.
The RPD also faces challenges, such as increased reports of rape in 2014. Ciminelli says they are working to create a less traumatic experience for victims by partnering with community organizations, like Bivona. The city also saw an increase in motor vehicle thefts, and a decrease in gun recoveries.
Warren says she attributes the overall reduction in crime to an improving relationship between residents and police officers.
"The police are doing a good job and more importantly the citizens are responding."
The mayor also says while she's happy to see a downward trend, the city has a long way to go.
Ciminelli says he's looking forward to the reorganization plan that launches in March, as a way to continue to encourage a good relationship between officers and the public. He says people who have interactions with police officers are more likely to report satisfaction with the police department as a whole.
"We've got to get these officers out of their cars and talking to people and getting to know the people and that's one of the key reasons we're going to sections, and we're going to smaller neighborhood-based beats so the officers have more of an opportunity to do that."
Ciminelli says the public has been a helpful resource in solving major crimes, such as homicides.
