ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) – With 97 homicides this year in St. Louis City, Mayor Francis Slay and other city officials are calling for an end to gun violence.

Mayor Slay, Police Chief Sam Dotson and Senator Jamilah Nasheed gathered Tuesday morning and asked for the public’s help in solving recent violent crimes. Right now, police say they are getting resistance from some residents.

Many people don’t want to speak with police about crimes, sometime because they don’t trust the police or they fear retaliation from criminals.

@MayorSlay calls for community to step up and tell police any info they have on crimes. @FOX2now pic.twitter.com/iaBnqDkrhJ — ANTHONY KIEKOW (@KiekowLive) September 23, 2014

Senator Nasheed told the news media and a small crowd that the community should be just as outraged over black-on-black crime as it was when Michael Brown was shot.

“It is truly distressing that innocent children are becoming the victims of gun violence that has been plaguing the streets of St. Louis,” said Sen. Nasheed.

Chief Sam Dotson says city has seen 97 homicides this year. “One homicide is too many!” He calls for common sense gun laws.