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New report shows Rochester's crime rate fell to a 39-year low in 2018

RPD

Mayor Lovely Warren and interim Police Chief Mark Simmons released a report Thursday that shows Rochester’s crime rate in 2018 was at its lowest point in at least 39 years.

Warren said increased engagement between police and the community helped these numbers go down.

Last year, 75% of all homicides were from shootings. And 60% of all shooting victims were involved in an ongoing dispute, the mayor said.

“So we decided, we're going to make a concerted and strategic effort to engage the community with agencies like Pathways to Peace,” Warren said. “To learn about these disputes and intervene before they lead to a shooting."

Shootings have declined for a fourth straight year, according to the report.

The homicide clearance rate increased to 88%.  Simmons said the clearance rate indicates investigators are able to gather information from the community to make arrests.

"Twenty-two of the 25 homicide incidents that occurred last year ended with a closure through arrest,” Simmons said. “That’s amazing; the national average is around 60%."

Simmons said in almost three-quarters of rape cases, the victim knew a suspect.

"Doesn’t make it any better,” he said, “but sometimes it helps us to locate the suspect and try and bring those cases to justice. But we will continue to work on that." 

Credit RPD

But even as numbers trend downward, Warren said she’s nowhere near claiming victory.

"Because we still have a long way to go,” she said. “I would never be satisfied with any crime number, especially a violent crime number, above zero."

Robberies in 2018 were at their lowest since 1985.