The Advance Peace – Peacemaker Fellowship program is an urban gun violence disruption strategy that works to end cyclical and retaliatory gun violence by investing in the development, health and well-being of young people who are at the center of the violence crisis. The program has identified up to four Neighborhood Change Agents who provide transformational opportunities to mentees called City Fellows, using the Advance Peace model, to break the cycle of gun hostilities.
The Neighborhood Change Agents, or trusted community “insiders,” are individuals with backgrounds that include lethal firearms offenses, previously incarcerated, involved in a gang or other high-risk groups who have turned their life around and demonstrate a positive lifestyle. The Change Agents attend scenes of shootings, homicides and other gun violence situations to provide assistance with managing crowds.
The program is being piloted in the 10th Ward of the City of Rochester, which includes the Lake Avenue Section of the Rochester Police Department.
Advance Peace Crime Statistics
Rochester NY crime: Homicides fall by a third in 2023 (democratandchronicle.com)
Homicides in Rochester dropped 32% in 2023, representing the largest decrease among 32 cities studied by the Council on Criminal Justice.
Killings peaked in Rochester in 2021 with a record-high 81 deaths. Last year, the city recorded 58 homicides ― a significant improvement. But homicides in 2019 were nearly half that number, at 32 deaths.
