ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Mayor Lovely Warren has declared a state of emergency in the city of Rochester in an effort to fight ongoing violence.

The mayor's office released this statement Friday afternoon:

"Our Rochester Police Department has been working with its local, state and federal law enforcement partners to expand their efforts to target those individuals committing violence in our city. We have also been working with the city law department to determine what emergency powers we can exercise. Today, Mayor Warren is declaring a local state of emergency to ensure additional resources are brought to bear with one clear goal: removing violent offenders from our neighborhoods.

"These individuals have already committed crimes, are wanted for additional crimes and are most likely to be perpetrating the violence we’re seeing today. This action ensures we are doing all we can to remove these violent criminals from our streets.

"We are grateful to Governor Hochul for agreeing to provide additional State Troopers to Rochester to actively expand this effort. This builds upon the work led by the U.S. Marshalls, RPD and the Monroe County Sheriff that began this summer.

"In addition, we have asked our State and County partners for further resources to provide more mental health and violence disruption services. We must actively attack this crisis from all angles.

"We also need our residents to step up and protect their neighborhoods as well. If you see something, say something, call 911 and report it. None of us can tolerate what is happening. The costs are, and have been, too great.

"Lastly, as people of faith, we call upon God to watch over Rochester, bring peace to its people and give us all the strength to do what is necessary. We also pray for all those we have lost and their families. May God provide them with solace and grace."

The state of emergency was declared a day after Rochester broke the record for most homicides in a year on Thursday following the fatal shootings of three people in two separate incidents.

Rochester Interim Police Chief David Smith says he’s grateful for additional resources coming, as his department has been stretched thin this week.

“We have just reached a point of critical mass where there are more people out than we can grab,” Smith said. “So we’re asking for more resources to help with that.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul is providing additional state troopers to the U.S. Marshals Task Force, and the Monroe County sheriff assigning more deputies.

The task force will help RPD arrest more than 30 suspected violent offenders next week, who will be charged federally where applicable.

“These are individuals we already have probable cause to arrest, and we also know if they’re not arrested, then they’re still out there involved in gun crimes and violent acts,” Smith said.

Mental health resources from the county have also been requested, and City Council Vice President Willie Lightfoot says this problem can't be solved by law enforcement alone.

“We’ve lost too many lives, and people should not feel like they’re not safe leaving their homes,” he said. “This is domestic terrorism, and we must be intentional to have a holistic approach to eliminate gun violence in our city.”

Smith is asking everyone in the community to step up and do their part to end violence in the city.

“The relationship is what we need,” he said. “And information is what we need. And we need to send a message that enough is enough, and we’re not going to tolerate this in our community anymore.”

In a statement, the Rochester Police Locust Club says the main focus should be on the impact on the victims, their families and first responders, which reads, in part:

"Support those who can’t just talk about the problems, they are out there confronting the problem. They may not be perfect, but they are giving everything that they have got to do an impossible job, without the numbers and resources they need to do that job.”