Gov. Hochul gives public safety update in Rochester

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Governor Kathy Hochul gave a public safety update in the City of Rochester Monday morning, focused on new action she said her administration was taking to combat crime locally.

Hochul said statistically, crime is down in Rochester in 2024 to-date, but a spate of recent events has warranted renewed concerns.

“We’ve made some promising strides,” Hochul said. “In the first eight months of this year, shootings are actually down almost 40 percent. Overall crime is down 38 percent…Car thefts are down 58 percent in Rochester. That’s concrete undeniable progress.”

But Hochul named recent incidents — including a homicide investigation into a family of four found dead, a fatal crash involving a stolen car , and a shooting which killed two and injured five at Maplewood Park in July — as some of the reasons behind her presence in Rochester Monday. The family of City of Rochester employee Tyasia Manning, who died in the Maplewood Park Shooting, was in the audience for Hochul’s address.

“The heinous and high profile nature of these crimes over the span of just a few weeks has literally shaken the psychology of this great community,” Hochul said. “These victims are not statistics, They’re loved ones, they’re our neighbors, our friends. Despite some encouraging progress, we’re going to talk about the work that needs to be done.”

That work, Hochul said, includes the deployment of up to 25 New York State Troopers to assist the Rochester Police Department as necessary. Their goal is to help RPD with investigations, finding witnesses, patrolling hot spots, and otherwise “connecting the dots.”

“When you have so many incidents at the same time, it stretches the resources. Everybody’s doing their best, but there’s only so many hours in the day,” Hochul said. “The visible presence of more police is powerful. It says you’re a community that matters. We want to protect you. We want you to go about your daily lives not worrying about anything. Take care of your family, your kids, your jobs, and we’ll do the rest.”

Hochul also highlighted $24 million in state funding granted to Rochester-area police agencies for technological upgrades and equipment. That includes $10 million for the RPD and $11.7 million for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Agencies in Greece, Brighton, Irondequoit, Gates, Ogden, Brockport, East Rochester, and Webster will also receive funding.

According to Hochul, the money will be used for things like license plate readers, mobile camera systems, drones, body-worn cameras, and smart technology for police vehicles.

“Better tech helps police gather better intelligence,” she said. “It’s that simple.”

Watch the full briefing

Community-based anti-violence and intervention programs are also slated to receive a round of funding from the state. According to the governor’s office, 585 SNUG, Healers Village, Rise Up Rochester, Roc The Peace, Untrapped Ministries, and City of Rochester Pathways to Peace will each receive $50,000 to support their programming.

“Rochester needs more law enforcement capacity and we’re here to help” Hochul said. “They need upgraded crimefighting technology. We’re here to help. And more funding for crime prevention initiatives, which I believe in, and we’re here to help. We’re delivering on all three. That’s the formula.”

WATCH: Gov. Hochul takes questions after speaking in Rochester

WATCH: Local officials speak after Gov. Hochul’s Rochester press conference

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