Rochester Police have released crime statistics from 2013, and while the murder rate rose overall, the level of serious crimes has dropped.
RPD says that what are known as "Part 1 Crimes, " which include murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults, dropped 10 percent in 2013 compared to 2012. Those crimes were at their lowest level in the last 25 years. But the number of homicides last year stood at 42, which was up six from the year before.
There was also a 10 percent increase in reported robberies last year. Rochester Police say that the department cleared just over 71 percent of the homicides last year.
Interim Police Chief Michael Ciminelli says among the key challenges from last year are the increase in homicides, the number of shooting victims and the increase in robberies. But he does say the hard work of the department along with an increasing level of cooperation from the community, has helped to achieve the overall downward trend in crime.
