Violent Crime on the Rise in Rochester

There has been a 38 percent increase in homicides in the city of Rochester since 2011.

Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard announced at a press conference Tuesday that although the number of year-to-date homicides has increased from 21 last year to 29 this year, the September 2012 statistic marks the third lowest year-to-date total in ten years.

Part of the Rochester Police Department's plan to keep the number of homicides from climbing is Project Impact, which uses data analysis to determine where and when to send police details, in an effort to proactively combat violent crime in areas most plagued by such incidents.

The number of non-fatal shooting victimizations is also up 79 percent for the months of January through September, from 95 in 2011 to 170 in 2012.