Rochester leaders and clergy gathered at City Hall Friday to stand in support with victims of recent violence in Dallas and elsewhere.
Mayor Lovely Warren, Police Chief Michael Ciminelli and local clergy gathered for prayer and reflection following the shootings in Dallas that killed and wounded several police officers, and also to mark the police involved shootings that took lives in Minnesota and Louisiana.
Warren says part of the reason for the gathering in the lobby of City Hall was at the request of the Dallas Mayor who called for the nation to join him in prayer.
“I ask all of our Rochester citizens to stand by our police officers as they continue to protect and serve, day in and day out, bravely. We also grieve for the families that lost loved ones in Minnesota and Baton Rouge.”
Police Chief Michael Ciminelli also called for a spirit of cooperation and communication with people in the city.
“I believe in this police department, I believe in this city, we’re being tested as a nation and we’re being tested as a community now. I truly believe that this police department will meet that test.”
Bishop Jeffrey Melvin of the Powerhouse Church of God in Christ believes the Rochester community has been working hard to bridge the mistrust between police and residents that has plagued some other communities.
“You have people that are nervous of the police and you have police that are nervous about the people, and like the chief said if there’s no dialogue between the people and the police it turns into animosity and you have people jittery on both sides and terrible things happen.”
Warren also called for continuing dialogue to help bridge any divide that exists with people in the community.
“We also need to continue substantive and meaningful conversation around race. These measures are critical to de-escalate the current climate of distrust that exists between the police and the communities they serve.”
The president of the police union, the Locust Club, Mike Mazzeo issued a statement saying that it is impossible to put into words what the Dallas shooting has meant; And he called it a societal problem, not a law enforcement problem. He said the country needs to address issues of poverty, economic injustice, epidemic drug use and a “general disregard for human life.”
Brockport Police Chief Dan Varrenti is also president of the Monroe County Chiefs of Police Association. He says local police are of course thinking of their colleagues in Dallas, but he also said officers continue to do their jobs, and not fear of what might happen when they go out on patrol affect their duties.
“We have to put our emotions aside; that said, what it does do is it makes us more aware that anything can happen , anytime, anywhere.”
He says officers continue to do their jobs, and can't be worried about might happen when they go out on patrol.
“Does that increase the awareness of the officer? absolutely; Does it make the officer a little more on edge,?sure. But we have a job to do and we’ll continue to do it and we’ll rely on our training and I believe our training is paramount, especially in Monroe County."
