Mayor Evans commits additional resources to keeping public spaces safe

After multiple people were injured in a shooting incident at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park at Manhattan Square (MLK Park) overnight, Mayor Malik D. Evans has announced numerous actions the City of Rochester is taking to address illegal gatherings.

“We will not tolerate these unlawful, out-of-control gatherings in our public spaces,” said Mayor Evans. “I will use everything in my power under the City Code and gun violence state of emergency to prevent these violent incidents and hold people accountable for their actions.”

For the foreseeable future, MLK Park, usually open until 11 p.m., will close at 8 p.m. Police officers will be stationed at MLK Park nightly starting at 7 p.m., alongside increased City security personnel, until further notice.

In addition, Rochester Police Chief David Smith is closing Court St. between Chestnut St. and the traffic circle starting at 7 p.m. through Sunday, June 30.

Additional security and RPD patrols will also be committed to other City public spaces into the overnight hours until further notice.

The City’s Department of Environmental Services has stationed additional lighting at MLK Park for use around the clock, and will install signage alerting the public to the new park hours.

The Mayor has pulled together top leaders from across the City to identify additional tactics and investments that would further clamp down on illegal gatherings. In addition, the City continues to work closely with its law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal levels for important supplementary resources.