Rochester receives additional funding for police and crime-fighting technology after violent summer

ROCHESTER, NY — Rochester will receive 25 additional New York State Police officers as well as funding for crime detection and prevention technology, Governor Kathy Hochul announced Monday during her visit to the Flower City.

The announcement comes after a violent summer in Rochester that included a mass shooting in Maplewood Park in July that left two people dead and a fatal car crash involving stolen cars in Brighton that began with a chase through the city in August. Outside the city, in Irondequoit, a family of four was murdered and their home set on fire.

Hochul spoke at Rochester City Hall alongside the family of Tyasia Manning, who was killed in Maplewood Park.

Here is the full press conference from September 9th:

“This should not happen. We should not bury our children. We should not bury our sister. There is no more piercing pain than losing a child, than losing a child to such senseless violence,” Hochul said.

Hochul said she wants to combat violence in three ways: by increasing law enforcement capacity, modernizing crime-fighting technology and increasing crime prevention initiatives. She will provide additional patrol officers to work directly with Rochester police.

“I understand how much these incidents put a strain on local law enforcement. … Our state reinforcements will assist in these investigations. We will even have them patrol the hot spots,” Hochul said.

The state will also provide $24 million to Monroe County agencies to upgrade technology to help with crime prevention and detection, including $10 million for the RPD and $11.7 million for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. For the MCSO, this is the largest police technology grant of any agency in the state.

Hochul said the funds could go toward drones, license plate readers, mobile camera systems and more.

Hochul also announced $2 million for anti-violence organizations. She said these groups would provide mental health support, vocational support and crisis assistance to prevent and combat violence. You can watch the full press conference here: