Rochester Police Department

We were doing good police work.

John and Rochester Police Captain Lynde Johnston tirelessly worked the case together in order to bring the killer to justice.

When you don't work together, the bad guy wins, and that's totally unacceptable.

After he was apprehended, Arthur Shawcross went on trial, accused of 11 homicides.

Things remained quiet for over a year.

Then on the 24th of March, 1988, the body of a woman was found.

Detective Lind was a captain with nearby Rochester Police at the time.

A Dorothy Blackburn was found in Salmon Creek out in Northampton Park.

We're at 8:02 on Rochester's source for breaking news, weather, and traffic, News Radio WHAM 1180.

Rochester Police are probing a deadly shooting on the city's northeast side.

They say a man in his 30s was riding a bicycle into a parking lot on Webster Avenue near Melville Street when a gunman opened fire on him.

The victim was dead at the scene.

Um, and there is a, uh, a newborn child, which will join this story, uh, halfway through, born yesterday.

It says here, "On the above date and time, Clinton Section responded to the area of 24 Mazda Terrace." Clinton Section is that portion of the Rochester Police Department which, uh, polices with great skill and compassion the northeastern portion of the city of Rochester.

Um, this is where the action is.

"On the above date and time, Clinton Section responded to the area of 24 Mazda Terrace for the report of a child being born.

Um, but at any rate, uh, we have a, uh, system which will reunite this family, and there they'll be.

So at any rate, I'm not sure, um, what point to make about this except to say that the heartbreak and dysfunction, uh, of this world is sometimes almost incomprehensible.

And, um, at any rate, I suspect that shortly the Rochester Police Department will, uh, have a release in regard to this, and perchance other reporters will become aware of it and make inquiry, and maybe we can learn more about the accused in this matter, the 56-year-old supposed father.

Um, at any rate, um, that's what's happening in the world.

And I want to say one thing, if I could, because I don't want to forget this.

I just want to send a shout out to every single person that's working in the Rochester Police Department right now, because these people are incredible.

You mentioned it, how hard it is, and we won't get into that yet, but...

It is incredibly hard to get people to do this job, and I have so much respect for any man or woman who would put themselves in danger in 2026 with all these other options out there that you could do.

And the numbers show it.

And, you know, there'll be people that say, oh, people don't want police or they want this or we want that.

The number one call, this is undisputable fact, data shows, the number one call to our Monroe County 911 is to the Rochester Police Department.

So somebody's calling those by the millions, calling us to deliver services, to come to their 911 calls, to help them when they're in danger.

Um, you might get to, uh, get to join them and, and see them grow and, and become, uh, young adults.

And sh- sh- shape our future, turn our future into a soc- You know what? I, I grew up in the city of Rochester, but I can tell you, it is because of the Rochester Police Department and some other community leaders there.

Uh, and all they had to do was walk up to me and say, "Peter, really, do I gotta call you Dad?" I mean, these people knew you by name back then, and that's the kind of environment you have there, which is why I couldn't find a lot of issues.

Um, Keith-

She'd been strangled.

By this point, the Rochester Police Department was starting to see the shape of something much bigger and much more dangerous than isolated crimes.

The murders appeared to be connected, and they wondered if they had a genuine serial killer in their midst.

They began to issue warnings to women working the streets, yet still Arthur Shawcross kept going.

You had 15 or 20 seconds.

But this was a different sort of release of information than you may see, for example, out of the Rochester Police Department.

Um, however, um, I believe that the Gates Police Department has, through steady professionalism over a number of years, uh, built up for it, um, and for its chief, um, a, a trust, uh, and a confidence within the community wherein, um, you knew that they're gonna tell us what they can when they can, and, um, uh, whenever that was.

And the s- to be honest with you, the simple, you know, um, is it awkward saying about someone currently serving, but the simple, humble spirit of Chief Rob Long, um, uh, that he, you know, evidenced yesterday is the same simple, humble spirit of, of, uh, Chief Rob Long that we have felt and seen every time we have ever con- you know, seen him on the news or had him on this show, uh, or in all honesty if you, uh, meet him on the street and shake his hand.

I'm Bob Lonsberry, and from the banks of the mighty Genesee in Rochester, New York, this is Downtown Section Third Platoon.

The, uh, Rochester Police Department has a very effective, intelligent, and useful public communication effort.

Um, of the, uh, years I have covered the Rochester Police Department, the current setup is the most, uh, transparent and accessible.

And as a person and as a reporter, I appreciate that.

Uh, and I point to, uh, Greg Bello and to his boss, uh, Chief Dave Smith, and say, "This is on them," uh, to their, uh, credit.

Welcome back.

This is Downtown Section Third Platoon.

Um, uh, a- again, we're reading through the, uh, the report of, uh, the staff duty officer for the Rochester Police Department who was working last night about this time.