Overall crime rates in the city of Rochester continue to drop while the homicide rate increased last year.
The number of homicides rose from 36 in 2015 to 42 in 2016, representing a 16.7 percent jump, according to data provided by the Rochester Police Department.
The rates of violent crimes — such as aggravated assault and robbery — dipped slightly from 1,662 incidents to 1,656. The rates of burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft dropped by about 5 percent.
RPD officials said the department’s focus on illegal guns contributed to the decline in the number of shooting deaths in 2016 and the 20 percent decrease in the number of shooting victims.
"(The) numbers tell us that we are on the right track and our strategies are working, especially our efforts to reduce shootings," Mayor Lovely Warren stated in a press release.
For more information, visit http://cityofrochester.gov/police.
