Community walk held along Lyell Avenue

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — Rochester Police and City Councilman Jose Peo brought community members for a walk in the Lyell Avenue neighborhood to promote safety and security.

The non-profit A Horse’s Friend offered free pony rides to kids in the community and neighbors had an opportunity to meet each other.

"When you know your neighbor you tend not to do bad things against them," Peo said. "The second thing is showing the community that we stand with RPD, we stand with our police and that community policing is a thing in the northwest."

"We’re trying to show the community and children in particular that the police are here for you and we’re here to help," said Rochester Police Capt. Mark Mura. "We’re here to be protectors."

Councilman Peo said this is the third walk they’ve had in the northwest neighborhood.

Uniting and Healing Through Hope of Monroe County’s Stop the Violence initiative has a rally scheduled for Thursday in Chili.

The U.S. Attorney General’s Office for the Western District of New York is also holding a community conversation on gun violence in Rochester on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center. Local representatives and law enforcement are expected to be there as well.