City of Rochester
News Release
Victor Saunders to Oversee City-Driven Programs, Lead City’s Collaborations with Community-Based Organizations
(Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022) – The City of Rochester’s violence prevention programs will now be centralized under the auspices of the Mayor’s Office, and led by Special Advisor to the Mayor Victor Saunders. Pathways to Peace, the Office of Neighborhood Safety, and the Peacemaker Fellowship program will all report directly to Saunders, a key member of the new mayoral administration’s senior leadership team.
“This centralization of violence reduction programs will lead to better internal and external collaborations,” said Mayor Evans. “We have all the building blocks in our community – a plethora of organizations and agencies working to prevent violence – but coordination is key. With Victor leading the charge, and with additional investments in prevention efforts, we will take our violence reduction efforts to the next level.”
The City’s Pathways to Peace team reaches into targeted neighborhoods to engage youth, diffuse potentially violent situations, and connect them to available resources and services. The team offers prevention, intervention, and direct monitoring to support positive progress.
The Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS), previously a unit within the City’s Department of Recreation and Human Services, fosters a city-wide approach to reducing violence by serving as a central hub for community-wide violence reduction strategies, and guiding public- and private-sector investments in social programs that work to combat violence in Rochester.
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 wellbeing of those at the center of the crisis. This year, Saunders plans to identify up to four Neighborhood Change Agents who will work within the Advance Peace model to break the cycle of gun hostilities. The program has been successful in significantly reducing gun violence in cities including Stockton, Richmond, and Sacramento, Calif.
In 2021, Rochester experienced unprecedented levels of violence, with 81 homicides and 419 shootings. The first three weeks of 2022 also have been marred by violence, including the homicide of a 14-year-old, the shooting of a three-year-old, and a triple shooting that resulted in the death of at least one individual.
“We are going to be bold,” Victor Saunders said. “My goal is to engage with every anti-violence effort in our city, and assist and help expand these programs that are driving quantifiable results.”
Within the first three weeks of assuming his new role, Saunders has already met with organizations including ROC The Peace, Rise Up Rochester, SNUG, and Monroe County anti-violence programs. He also works closely with “natural helpers” – leaders who provide leadership and guidance to their neighbors in positive, everyday interactions.
“We will start with interventions,” Saunders said. “And I am looking forward to expanding our efforts to employment opportunities and other meaningful alternatives to a life of violence.”
Saunders plans to reinstitute the City’s PRIME program (Providing Real Incentives for Meaningful Employment), and offer stipends and other funding for training programs.
“We will innovate, and we will invest,” said Mayor Evans. “Turning this tide of violence is a top priority.”
###The City of Rochester administration of Mayor Malik D. Evans is committed to promoting positive systemic and structural change by providing transparent and collaborative leadership, offering equitable access to essential municipal services, enabling productive intergovernmental, private, and non-profit partnerships, and promoting increased quality of life through investments that create vibrant neighborhoods and employment opportunities, making Rochester a hope-filled city with an exciting future. For more information, visit
www.cityofrochester.gov.