My bet is "Yes."
From the minute Mahweak Evans won the Democratic primary vote in 2021, he was guaranteed the mayorship in November's general election.
During the interim, violent crime in Rochester exploded, as did its number of homicides. In fact, 2021 was a record-breaker for the number of homicides that were committed in our fair city.
Mahweak did nothing, apart from occasionally expressing that his heart was broken.
Apparently, Mahweak's heart is a remarkably resilient organ.
Nor did he provide Rochester with any idea about how he would combat this uptick in violence, probably because he didn't know what to do in the first place.
On January 1, 2022, Mahweak was finally crowned and enthroned.
He promptly announced that he would be putting all of Rochester's anti-violence programs, all stunning failures, under his control, which he promptly handed off to his cousin, Victor Saunders.
There was no noticeable improvement as violent crime continued to escalate.
Then he announced that he would continue to employ ex-Mayor Warren's last interim Chief of Police, David Smith as HIS interim Chief of Police, while he authorized payment of $50,000 to an agency to conduct a nationwide search for a permanent Chief of Police.
Doubtless Smith was thinking "Gee, thanks...I think."
But then, Smith was and remains a less than inspirational police chief.
And the violence and homicides continued unchecked.
Nearly every month, Mayor Mahweak treated the public to a press conference with some new anti-violence initiative that accomplished nothing.
Perhaps he did it to frighten criminals, only it didn't work.
And for more than six months, the nationwide search for a new police chief accomplished nothing, because no good candidates were stupid enough to take up the offer to work for an anti-cop mayor, with his anti-cop administration and a city saddled with an anti-cop City Council.
So Mahweak finally was forced to settle for what he had.
After a great deal of begging and behind-the-scenes deal making, Mahweak got Smith to accept the position of full-time Police Chief.
Taking off his knee pads and calling for yet another presser, Mahweak made that announcement, and the local media went apeshit touting Smith's perfections for the role, never bothering to ask why the mayor never seemed to notice those qualities before to stay on permanently.
Nor would the local news media ask why the nationwide search for a police chief ended in futility and a waste of taxpayer dollars.
Most citizens of Rochester were notably underwhelmed, despite the media blitz.
Then, heady with the "success" of making his decisive appointment, Mahweak found it necessary to call for another presser, on July 21, 2022, to announce yet another anti-crime initiative of his own devising.
Surrounded by the royal court of his administration, which resembled nothing so much as a multi-racial, adult version of Honey Boo Boo and her family, Mayor Mahweak announced his latest scheme: Get more cops into our "troubled" neighborhoods and get more guns off of our streets.
Guns, mind you, not criminals.
That has always been the inherent flaw in most of the city's anti-crime initiatives.
The criminals themselves were laughing so hard at this announcement that they were probably wetting themselves.
And within hours of Mahweak's latest evangel, Rochester celebrated its 42nd homicide of the year, with the murder of an on-duty police officer on Bauman Street.
RPD Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz, a 29-year veteran of law enforcement, was gunned down while on duty.
His partner, as well as an innocent bystander, were wounded, not fatally, in the attack.
Tony was a jolly man, given to cooking and cook-outs, family and friends. He could have retired nine years ago but believed in himself and his job of protecting the residents of Rochester, despite the increased anti-cop attitude of Citygov.
He didn't believe that his job was done, and it was his dedication to Rochester that took him to Bauman Street last Thursday night. And to his death.
Whatever people might think about the police, one thing is certain: They are at risk from the minute they begin their shifts until they end. They are subjected to a constant stream of abuse from criminals, friends and families of criminals and progressive politicians. Most police officers faithfully perform their duties to the best of their abilities to protect the law-abiding citizens under their care. And some give their lives doing it.
As did Tony.
Reaction was swift.
A clearly shaken Police Chief Smith stated that this was a cowardly attack. It was.
And Smith had known Tony for decades.
An angry Mayor Mahweak stated that no family should have to go through this. He seemed more embarrassed than otherwise, since Tony's murder came just hours after he announced his latest anti-gun initiative, and it made him look like a fool.
Mahweak doesn't need any help with that.
Nor did it seem to dawn on him that the excremental taint of his and his administration's anti-cop attitude has continued to create an atmosphere and environment in which criminality can grow and thrive.
But at least he asked everyone to pray for the families affected by this latest tragedy.
As for the rest of Citygov, only Michael Patterson commented on this latest homicide.
Michael Patterson is the district councilman for the NE Quadrant, the poorest and most crime-riddled section of Rochester.
One-third of all of Rochester's homicides occur within a one-mile radius of North Clinton and Clifford Avenues, which is the heart of the NE Quad.
It was within this area that Tony was killed.
Patterson stated that we need a "time out" from terror and was demanding legislation that would allow judges to keep violent, gun-toting criminals behind bars until their trials.
The progressive Democrat inspired "Bail Reform Act" allows judges to release violent offenders without bail before their trials so they can commit more crimes. The twisted logic behind this is bail has been unfairly used against people of color, who are too poor to post bail. Unfortunately, those same violent criminals are allowed to go loose and continue to terrorize the people in their own neighborhoods, including the people who were advocates of the "Bail Reform Act" in the first place.
Which has been sad, commonplace occurrences in Rochester, a catch-and-release program that frustrates the work of the police and frightens law-abiding citizens, with whom politicians are rarely concerned.
And the suspect in Tony's murder, Anthony Vickers, captured shortly after the attack, at 21 already has a gun-related arrest record, among other crimes. His criminal career began at the age of 12 and has continued unabated until he reached the pinnacle of his career by murdering a cop, Tony Mazurkiewicz.
Vickers, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, came to New York State because the climate here is more conducive to criminality and is comfortable for criminals.
That is courtesy of our toxic She Devil of a governor and the Democrat dominated state government in Albany, who also gave us the "Bail Reform Act" and is unwilling to modify it in any way.
To do so, of course, would be racist!
To be blunt, this is the first time that Patterson has been so vocal about the crimes in his neighborhood, the condition of which has been a disgrace for years.
And within 48 hours of Tony's murder, Rochester's 43rd homicide took place. On North Clinton Avenue.
While Rochester might be the deadliest city in America per capita, Patterson's NE Quad remains the deadliest and most dangerous part of the city.
Although 24 hours after that, Rochester's 44th homicide of the year took place in the NW Quad.
Please note that no other members of the "august" members of City Council have bothered to make statements about Tony's murder or their own anti-cop attitude that has led to the understaffing and demoralization of the Rochester Police Department. Their actions seem to promote a violent anti-cop feeling, at least among certain segments of our population.
So, what conclusions can I bring this latest blog to?
For one thing, Mahweak and his administration really don't know what they are doing in regard to any serious anti-crime or anti-violence initiatives, especially since they are hindered by their own anti-cop attitude. That is clearly not going to change.
For another, Mahweak's lackadaisical attitude regarding searching for a police chief for half a year before finally appointing the one he already had suggested that he is not really serious about providing RPD with effective leadership or an adequate liaison between Citygov and the Police Department.
And, that crime, violence and homicide will continue because the mayor won't do what it would take to help combat it.
Finally, I say "Thank you, Officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz, for your service, dedication and ultimate sacrifice for the law-abiding residents of the City of Rochester and its unsupportive and demoralizing Citygov."
Rest in peace, Tony. You will not be forgotten.
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