Sunday morning delivered five shootings with two dead as gun violence plagues the safety of residents & visitors. Unfortunately, Rochester resembles many American cities with an increase in violence. According to a published report on Fox News, data shows that the rate of murder per capita in Rochester exceeds that of Chicago, one of America's most notoriously violent large cities. Local officials are embracing police intervention with federal assistance to combat gun violence.
The federal assistance emerged as the VIPER Task Force. In July, local and federal officials held a news conference. Representatives of VIPER announced a joint effort to decrease gun violence. Since that announcement, Rochester's gun violence has continued to flourish. Residents have participated in community engagements and stop the violence protests with little impact.
Now, community leaders, law enforcement, and activists are looking for effective ways to maintain public safety. A report published on Rochester First in March stated Chief Herriott-Sullivan claimed that there were 237 cases of criminal possession of a weapon in the last year and 25 shootings, 6-10 of those shooters were on parole.
Doccs.ny.gov Executive Summary reports that among the 20,776 released from prison/jail in 2015, there were 8,744(42%) individuals who returned to DOCCS custody within three years, including 9% recommitted with new felony convictions and 33% returned for violating the conditions of their release.
An idea to restore public safety could fall in the hands of parole and probation officers. Studies suggest repeat offenders are responsible for a significant percentage of crimes. Many of these offenders are actively under some form of supervision. Stricter monitoring and random searches could be the answer to a growing problem.
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