Mayor Evans reflects on busy first week in office

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — Rochester Mayor Malik Evans’s first week in office has been eventful between several shootings and stabbings, a deadly crash after a police pursuit and the shooting death of a 14-year-old.

Evans Friday said the city needs change, and so far, members of his administration have donated nearly $9,000 to CrimeStoppers to find whoever was behind the shooting.

"One of the things that I’m going to implore and use in this administration is to make sure that we have the tools in our toolbox,” Evans said. “This is one tool. People may come forward, they may not. But the opportunity is there. To be able to take advantage of those dollars."

Evans himself donated more than $3,000.

He also said he wants to find a better way to report earnings and overtime through all city offices, especially amid concerns about how much some Rochester Police Officers make.

Evans said the reporting should take the whole picture into account, not just the dollar amount.

"When you’re down 80 officers and calls for service have not abated we have to make sure that there are people going to those calls," Evans said. "So sometimes data and isolation can generate more heat than light. I’m not interested in heat. I’m interested in light."

There are dozens of open positions in the RPD and people are out sick with COVID.

Mayor Evans said the department is ramping up recruitment plans to fill vacancies while he looks for a permanent chief of police.