ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Police Department is on track to solve over 75% of homicide cases this year, a significant increase from the typical 50% to 60% closure rate by the end of the year. So far, police have made arrests in roughly 31 homicides out of the 42 that have occurred in the city.

The department is also seeing success in solving non-fatal shootings, with a closure rate of around 30% compared to the typical 5%. Capt. Greg Bello with the Rochester Police Department attributes this improvement to more advanced technology, collaboration with other agencies, and most crucially, working with the public.

Police say the community can help them hold people accountable — but only if they trust them.

“What ultimately we need is somebody that was there that knows who cooperates with us, that says, ‘This person shot,’ you know, ‘Person A shot person B and killed them,’ or ‘Person, right, stabbed person B killed them,’ whatever it may be. And working with our investigators, giving us the leads to help us track down those suspects and apprehend the suspects,” Bello said.

We hear it all the time from police — “if you know something, say something” — but if someone’s afraid of retaliation, it’s not easy for them to speak up.

Coming forward with information can be intimidating for people, but the department is taking steps to make it easier. Bello says that’s where relationship-building with the community comes in. Events like Coffee with a Cop and community picnics connect officers with people who live and work in Rochester — outside of police work — in the hopes of building trust.

News10NBC asked community advocate Wanda Ridgeway if she has noticed a change in how people are trying to build trust.

“I know there was a lot of brokenness and, you know, it’s time for us to heal so that we can be able to be that thriving community that we once were, you know — we got to stop saying, pointing fingers and just, you know, we do our part. But they definitely are trying,” Ridgeway said.

Tips can be made anonymously to both 911 and Crime Stoppers, and in some cases you may be eligible for a reward.

The current homicide count of 42 in Rochester is down from the 49 victims at this time last year.

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