ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) - City leaders shared an update on public safety in Rochester Tuesday.
During the news conference, RPD Chief David Smith stated that no gun violence-related incidents had been recorded in the East End Bar District since restriction measures were implemented there in September 2024.
Business owners in surrounding neighborhoods, however, want to see similar changes.
"If you look at the East End, initially, the complaint was, 'Well, you're scaring away the customers and the customers aren't coming.' We've seen an increase in our patronage because people feel safe again," said Chief Smith.
Restrictions placed in the East End include designated entry points between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. for those 21 and older, wristbands, and road closures.
Less than a mile from East and Alexander, business owners along Monroe Avenue are hoping for more oversight.
"I've been doing this a long time - I've never seen it like this before," said Eleni Skrombolas, co-owner of Mark's Texas Hots, a Monroe Ave. staple.
Because of large crowds loitering, drinking publicly, and using drugs, Skrombolas says she's had to do something she's never done in decades of business.
"Sometimes, I'll have 50 to 60, 70 people, and that's just in front of here. Sometimes, they're across the street. I’ll stop serving around 2:15 to 2:30 a.m. and stop the phones and stop taking orders to hopefully clear the crowds, so then we can go back to taking orders," said Skrombolas, "I don’t know if because they locked down East Avenue so well, if that’s overflowing now over to Monroe. I mean, maybe some police presence down here would help break that up."
Chief Smith says a detail in other neighborhoods like Monroe Ave. isn’t out of the equation, but says it would require more manpower.
“Besides financially for me, it’s also,’Do I have the bodies to do it?’We’ve been fortunate because the details at the East End are through special events which is volunteers.I’m able to fill it with volunteers.If the time comes when I can’t fill it with volunteers,do I have the ability to order officers to go there?”said Chief Smith.
RPD brings routine patrols down Monroe Ave., but recent activity has owners like Skrombolas seeking more assistance.
“When you have people congregating and hanging out,something is bound to happen.Hopefully,nothing does.But,I think we definitely need some help,”she said.
So far this year, under Rochester's gun violence state of emergency, the city has issued nine closure orders on properties or businesses that have posed a risk for violence. Recently, those locations included along North Goodman Street, Clifford Avenue, and North Clinton Avenue.