The state claims “significant progress” is being made against gun violence and vehicle thefts in the city of Rochester.
Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday said federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships have produced results, including a 17 percent decrease in shooting incidents with injury (217 vs. 261) and a 30 percent reduction in the number of individuals killed by gun violence (39 vs. 56) from January 1, through October 22, 2023, vs. the same time last year.
Vehicle thefts in the city declined 38 percent when comparing thefts in June, which was the month with the most thefts reported so far in 2023, to those reported in August, the month with the second-fewest thefts reported this year. Governor Hochul also urged Rochester and Finger Lakes residents to attend software update clinics hosted by Hyundai in Rochester this month to further protect their vehicles.
According to the Governor’s Office, police departments that participate in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, which includes Rochester Police, collectively have experienced the same declines this year through October 22: a 25 percent reduction (672 vs. 894) in shooting incidents with injury and 33 percent decline in the number of individuals killed by gun violence (117 vs. 175).
Monroe County experienced the largest increase in vehicle thefts in the nation in the first seven months of this year, with thefts in the city of Rochester driving those numbers. Six weeks ago, Governor Hochul announced the Comprehensive Auto-Theft Reduction Strategy (CARS), a series of targeted actions to combat the high number of car thefts, particularly of certain Kia and Hyundai model vehicles, in counties across New York. In Rochester so far this year, reported vehicle thefts reached a high of 634 in June, followed by two consecutive months of decline, with 542 reported in July and 394 reported in August. Only March, when 353 vehicle thefts were reported, had fewer thefts than August this year. These are the most current data reported by the Rochester Police Department (RPD) to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). According to Rochester PD, there were 172 motor vehicle thefts in September and 155 in October 2023. This data has not yet been submitted to DCJS and vetted.
