RPD hosts ‘Walking One-Stop’

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Gun violence continues to rise in Rochester, and so does the number of homicides. The city is currently sitting at 48 murders.

The Rochester Police Department and its partners hosted a “Walking One-Stop” Wednesday afternoon.

The walking one-stop provides the public with access to services, education, and resources to help reduce gun violence.

Walking through the community, both police and members of several local outreach programs are going from house to house, in one of the city’s hot spots for crime. Walkers spreading the message that gun violence can be stopped in their neighborhood.

Dr. Kiah Nyame from the city’s Office of Neighborhood Safety talks about the importance of getting out into the community.

“We’ll be coming along later to reassure our neighbors, and our community members that we have resources that can all them to traject where they want to go, and what they want to do differently than what’s happening now,” said Nyame.

Several tents and tables were set up at International Plaza for the walking one-stop event. Organizations of all types from around the city offered their services. One such organization is BIPOC PEEEEEEK, which help families dealing with mental health issues.

“They need to help a lot of them. You know they hide behind the thing, mental illness, or sickness in the family, and keep it to themselves. They don’t have to do that anymore. You know we have organizations, we have hospitals. We have the different one set up out here to just help them in different areas of their life,” said Diane Tanner, the organization’s Service Navigator.

This week the city has seen 3 homicides with 2 involving guns, and one by use of a machete. Rochester police say walk one-stop reaches out to the communities that are affected most by violence.

“It’s a targeted approach into the communities that have seen an unprecedented amount of gun violence, and it basically brings the services to one spot where we invite folks from our outreach partners. Some of the services out there. We have employment opportunities. Folks that want to get out of that life. We have folks that can address that,” said Lt. Ron Malley.

City leaders say the plan is to have more walking one-stop events in different parts of the city in the upcoming months.