Cries From the City: Public Safety, Education, and Lawmakers Must Connect and Align to See Change
- Admin
- Aug 4
- 2 min read
Rochester is grieving once again after another act of senseless violence. Our hearts are with the victims, their families, the first responders, and every neighbor whose sense of safety has been shaken. We must continue to support law enforcement and hold those responsible for violence accountable. At the same time, we must confront an equally urgent question:
How do we stop the next tragedy before it happens?
The answer cannot be found in emergency response alone. It must also be found in prevention. For too long, public safety, education, and government have operated in separate conversations: one focused on responding after violence occurs, another on creating opportunity before violence takes root, and another on ensuring accountability for those who harm their fellow citizens.
The truth is clear: we cannot build safe communities without strong educational outcomes, and we cannot expect children to thrive academically if they do not feel safe in their neighborhoods. We also cannot allow those who break the law to do so without consequence. These systems are not opposites; they are partners.
Many of us have spent years working with families, educators, community organizations, law enforcement, elected officials, and young people. We have seen the impact of early investment in literacy, mentorship, parent engagement, and positive youth development—and we feel the consequences when those supports arrive too late.
Everyone touched by violence was once a child in a classroom. Every child deserves the chance to grow into a graduate, skilled worker, business owner, parent, or community leader, not become another statistic.
That is why we must define success differently. True accountability is not only about assigning blame; it is also about ensuring that every dollar invested strengthens families, schools, and communities. Our laws should reflect that responsibility, and our lawmakers must be willing to act.
Signed:
Candidate for New York State Assembly, 136th District
Candidate for New York State Assembly, 137th District
Candidate for New York State Assembly, 138th District
Candidate for New York State Senate, 56th District
Candidate for New York State Senate, 55th District
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