Who is Mark Simmons? Meet the interim chief of the Rochester Police Department (again)

Mark Simmons was named interim chief of the Rochester Police Department on Monday.

The Rochester native previously held the interim role from September 2018 until April 2019, when Mayor Warren appointed La'Ron Singletary to the post.

Here are five things to know about the new (again) interim chief.

An acting (acting) chief

Simmons was among the command staff that joined Singletary in a mass resignation last week. He only resigned his deputy chief command position, dropping back to lieutenant, and thus gaining civil service protection. Singletary then appointed him back into his deputy chief role overseeing the administrative bureau in an acting capacity, city human resources director Tassie Demps told City Council members on Monday. 

Singletary announced his retirement, which was to take effect Sept. 29.

Last week, Simmons was vocal about his frustrations with City Council during a briefing, telling Councilman Mitch Gruber: "For weeks now, members of this council have been talking to the media saying the police are initiating the violence, the police are instigating this, the police are the cause of this. So to just gloss over it is incorrect, and is unfair to those officers out on the line. So I think you owe those officers an apology."

A pastor's son

Simmons is 40 years old, the son of a pastor, and an 18-year veteran of the Rochester Police Department.

He grew up on the city's northeast side, off North Goodman Street and is a 1998 graduate of Benjamin Franklin High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Keuka College as well as a master's degree in criminal justice administration. When named to the interim role two years ago, he said:

“It’s like a dream come true. From a very early age I wanted to become a police officer, and I wanted to give back to this community. That was something that was instilled in me from my father, who has been a pastor, a minister in this community for over 40 years in the northeast side of the city."

His father, Bishop Amos Simmons, is the bishop of Upper Floor Room Family Worship Center on Joseph Avenue.

Simmons continued that day in 2018: "I saw firsthand the negative impact that violence and drugs can have in tearing apart community, in tearing apart families. I saw how his actions helped to bring about healing. Just a kind word. And that is something, a lesson I took forward with me when I became a police officer.” 

Then, as now, police-community relations were at the fore with a police misconduct case involving Christopher Pate in the headlines and officers suspended, to be later fired.

“Sometimes all it takes is sitting down and understanding each other’s point of view, each others perspective," Simmons said at the time. "We might not always agree but I think its important to sit down and community with one another. That is how we can move forward as a community.”

Through the ranks

Simmons joined the Rochester Police Department in 2002 as a patrol officer, serving on both the Organized Violence Reduction Team and the Tactical Unit. He earned promotions to sergeant and investigator, later serving as commanding officer of the Professional Standards Section and as chief of staff to the police chief.

Simmons was promoted to Deputy Chief in 2016, one of three individuals in the department to hold that rank. He also served as coordinator of RPD's recent reorganization from two sections to five.

Officer-involved shooting

When Simmons was 25, he shot a 13-year-old girl during an incident in a Jacob Street home in July 2005.

Family members called 911 to report that Lashedica Mason was threatening to kill herself with a knife. While Simmons was talking to those family members, Lashedica emerged from the kitchen with an 8-inch knife and rushed toward Simmons and Lashedica's 18-year-old sister.  Simmons backed up and ordered Lashedica to stop before shooting her three times.

The teen survived, but the shooting sparked community protests.  Acting Police Chief Cedric Alexander said Simmons "acted in an appropriate manner ... the way he was trained to act.".

Contact reporter Brian Sharp at bdsharp@gannett.com or at 585-258-2275. Follow him on Twitter @sharproc. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.

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