A State of Emergency in the City of Rochester Over Gun Violence. Here’s What You Need to Know:

Cities across the country have experienced the scourge of gun violence over the past year, with rates of gun violence skyrocketing in some of the most deeply impacted communities.

In Rochester, New York, a Local State of Emergency has been declared in the face of growing gun violence across the city. The proclamation cites that the amount of gun violence in Rochester has nearly doubled since the beginning of 2021, compared to last year, with 360 people shot during 301 shooting incidents. This comes after the Governor of New York declared a statewide disaster emergency in July of 2021, classifying gun violence as a public health crisis, allowing the state to expedite money and resources immediately to communities to begin fighting gun violence.

Rochester should continue to support the community groups who are able to implement community-centered violence intervention strategies, which have been shown to reduce gun violence in cities nationwide. Those groups include:

• Advance Peace, a funding beneficiary of Everytown for Gun Safety, which works at providing life-saving services and resources to communities hardest hit by the gun violence crisis. Advance Peace’s Peacemaker Program works to identify individuals at the greatest risk of community gun violence and intervene before that violence occurs. The group’s model has contributed to sustained reductions in shootings and firearm homicides in cities grappling with high rates of community violence.
  
• Rise Up Rochester, Inc., another Everytown partner, which works to establish and maintain a nonviolent culture in Rochester communities, and supports crime victims and their families. The organization teaches conflict resolution to share with the youth and community members how to peacefully resolve conflict. They also work with victims of violence to create a plan of action that will interrupt retaliation, and support victims and survivors of gun violence through remembrance services, support groups, and more.