A number of local human services agencies, city officials, and activists for peace are looking for ways to stem violence in Rochester, noting that violence “is a public health crisis.”
The various organizations got together to talk about the issue Tuesday on North Clinton Avenue, not far from where violence late last week took two lives and injured three others.
A second person died of gunshot wounds this week. He is 19-year-old Anthony Miller-Curry. When the violence broke out early Saturday, it also took the life of 22-year-old Anthony McIntyre III.
Rochester Police said that three others who were shot are expected to survive their injuries.
The comments made by the groups advocating for peace on Tuesday were organized with the help of the Community Resource Collaborative. Its CEO, Anthony Hall, is urging anyone with information about the shootings to come forward, as police are still trying to identify suspects.
“This is not a snitching campaign, this is an upstanding campaign,” said Hall, who called on Rochesterians “to be upstanders and not bystanders. If we see something as a citizen as a resident as a villager, as a community member, we have to say something.”
Hall said if people who have information don’t want to go directly to police, there are a number of local organizations they can go to they can talk to who will help gather that information.
Hall added that along with the effort to help find whoever is responsible for the recent shootings, the community must work to provide resources in neighborhoods where people are facing a lot of challenges, and provide an alternative path to this violence.
“So that the agencies can respond from a cognitive therapeutic approach, so we can prevent folks turning to the street, turning the guns, confidence and building up more sustainable individuals with conflict resolution, sustainable housing, and jobs,” said Hall.
Hall said that he is encouraged by the number of people in the city who are getting together to look for solutions to these various issues including the recent violence.
