In the city of Rochester, a trend of decreasing shooting incidents over the past three years reflects a broader fall in violent crime, a trend that might contradict common impressions. The substantial contraction of 46% in shooting incidents from a high point in 2021 is mainly attributable to individuals resuming traditional activities post the disruption instigated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This also provides insight into why such a downtrend is emerging. During the last one year, the city recorded 232 shootings, which although represents a decrease since mid-2020, it’s a figure that is considerably high relative to most of the previous decade.
The routine occurrence of shootings in the community over the last four years was emphasized by the RPD Captain Greg Bello. Officers frequently had to respond to these violent incidents, and the community members were consistently disturbed due to the regular gunfire incidents in their localities. However, these events have shown a reduction in their daily frequency, which is a positive turn of events. Yet, according to officials, these disturbing incidents are still too frequent.
Among the shooting incidents, certain incidents induced a significant level of attention and concern. For instance, on August 12, we witnessed a tragic shooting of three teenagers at Hazelwood Terrace, which resulted in a fatality. Just three weeks prior to that, on July 28, there was a horrifying shooting at a barbecue at Maplewood Park, leading to the deaths of two women. Additionally, six individuals sustained injuries due to a shooting at Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial Park on June 23 in the early hours of the day.
Such prominent violent incidents, as pointed out by both Bello and the business intelligence director of the department, Nick Petiti, have fostered a public belief that the city’s crime rate is escalating. The fluctuations in the number of shootings, including incidents with multiple casualties, have consistently constituted around 15% or less of the total shooting incidents, demonstrating a relative stability. Homicide rates have also shown a reduction year over year from the peak reached during the pandemic.
The phenomenon of a surge in violent crime during the pandemic era is not entirely unique to Rochester. This trend was observed throughout the nation. As per the Brennan Center for Justice, a politically neutral law and public policy organization, the nationwide homicides saw an almost 30% surge during the first year of the pandemic.
In Rochester, the crime metrics during the pandemic presented a complex picture. For instance, crimes like robbery and burglary didn’t experience any consistent surge during the pandemic years, while 2020 saw a remarkable increase in aggravated assault, reaching a 12-year high with 990 cases.
The strategy to continue the downward trend in violent crime is a complex one, according to Captain Bello. It calls for the implementation of measures such as promoting trust in law enforcement within communities and for local governments to strengthen efforts to address pivotal factors linked to crime such as poverty.