Mayor Evans announces ‘Rochester Peace Collective’

ROCHESTER N.Y. (WHEC) — Rochester Mayor Malik Evans announced a new plan to stem the violence in the city on Wednesday morning, dubbing it the "Rochester Peace Collective."

Rochester has been plagued with violence for months now. Monday morning, a 30-year-old man was shot and killed on West Main Street in a parking lot next to the nightclub, Minq lounge.

On Saturday, a 10-year-old girl staying at her grandma’s house is in the hospital after being shot four times in the chest when the house was shot overnight. Over the last year, many other homes have also been hit by gunfire.

Mayor Evans and his administration announced that the funding collaboration, under the guidance of the Special Advisor to the Mayor on Violence Prevention Programs Victor Saunders, is a collaborative effort that will guide investments from local funding organizations into innovative and proven programs that work to prevent violence.

“The alarming rise in violence here and across the country demands bold and immediate action,” said Mayor Evans. “We must innovate while increasing our support of proven programs. The City isn’t in this alone, so we invite community partners to sit with us and support local violence prevention efforts through this Collective.”

The City of Rochester plans to commit $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the effort. The Rochester City Council will consider this commitment and vote on it in its May meeting. This funding comes from the $202 million allocations from the ARPA, which is part of $65 billion distributed to cities nationwide as part of the stimulus bill.

The city is seeking proven and innovative violence prevention programs to join the collective by calling 585-428-7406 or emailing RochesterPeaceCollective@CityOfRochester.gov and to apply for financial support once the funds become available.

The programming would include re-entry programs, job training and preparation, mediation and conflict resolution, youth development, mental health support, and the arts.

“Once City Council approves the appropriation in May, we will immediately begin investing heavily in additional peace initiatives. We cannot afford to wait.”

The collective will work with City departments including the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Recreation and Human Services, and the Rochester Public Library.

You can watch the entire conference in the video in the player below (mobile users, click here):