As Rochester nears the end of one of its most violent years on record, several state Democratic legislators have secured funding for programs that they hope will save lives in the long run.
At the Liberty Pole on Friday, Rochester’s state Democratic delegation announced that nearly $5 million will go to existing nonprofits to curb violence in Rochester. Ten programs -- including Teen Empowerment, RochesterWorks, The Gandhi Insititute, The Urban League of Rochester and The Center for Youth -- are receiving funding for existing programs or their institutions at large.
The money tied to the Bridge to Peace program will allow agencies to work on conflict resolution, de-escalation, and employment among young people.
According to Assemblyman Demond Meeks, the goal is to empower these programs to expand their work as a proactive solution to rising violent crime.
“Our city requires a new and different approach,” Meeks said. “One that is not necessarily soft or hard on crime but smart on crime.”
State Sen. Samra Brouk echoed that sentiment and said while there are a lot of reasons for the uptick in violence, none of the answers are easy.
“The truth is that our criminal justice system, the way it is organized and as it stands, is reactive,” Brouk said. “While it does serve a purpose, in order to truly address violence and poverty in our community, we need to be proactive.”
As of Friday, Rochester Police said there have been 80 homicides in Rochester so far this year -- the most in recorded history and nearly triple the city’s 10-year average. Additionally, 411 people have been shot, with the average victim’s age being 28. Eighty-two percent of the shooting victims were Black men.
Assemblymember Sarah Clark, who lives in the Maplewood neighborhood, said it's directly affected her family. She said last summer was especially tough, with the sounds of gunshots commonplace near her house and yellow police tape strung up on nearby streets. She said she told her youngest child that the gunshots were firecrackers.
The Democrat said the uptick in gun violence affects more than victims and perpetrators.
“We forget to talk about the community feel to it,” Clark said. “The neighborhoods that have children in them that aren’t necessarily a part of what’s happening with the gun violence, but they’re hearing it, they’re seeing and they’re feeling it.”
