The Rochester Police Department Reorganization went into effect overnight. The plan restructures the city into five sections, instead of two. Officers are also designated to smaller beats.
Mayor Lovely Warren says the city and the police are doing their part to further reduce crime, but she says the success of this program also depends on members of the community stepping up and working with police to make the streets safer.
"This new model give us an opportunity to deliver the true promise of Rochester's neighborhoods. It gives us the opportunity to create a Rochester we all can believe in."
Police Chief Mike Ciminelli says he's excited to be able to give his officers an opportunity to establish relationships with the residents they serve.
"We're not only changing an organizational structure, we're changing an organizational culture."
The RPD says the program will go through evaluations to track its effectiveness, including getting feedback from the community about their relationship with officers. Ciminelli says they are also assembling a group to assess their diversity and sensitivity training in the police academy.
