BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The newly formed "Strike Force Unit" replaces the old "Mobile Response Unit" the Buffalo Police Department once had. Its goal is to detour and cut down on crime within the city by using multiple resources and agencies like the New York State Police, Erie County Sheriffs Office, and the Buffalo Police Department.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown says the new unit began working Monday and will be a highly mobile unit on the streets and will target high crime areas in the city.

Law enforcement officers will target areas based on police intelligence, crime patterns, and tips from the public.

The announcement comes after another violent weekend in the city which saw a number of shootings and stabbings. According to police, there were eight homicides last month in the city, including one at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park where five people were shot at a picnic, one person died.

Police Commissioner Dan Derenda says an increase in violence in warm weather is typical, but his department is working hard to stop the violence.

"We are addressing the issues," Derenda said. "We have put a number of things in place that have calmed down the shootings. With the Strike Force coming into play and working with our partners, it's going to be a very effective and efficient unit that will take care of our problems that take place in different areas and addressing them immediately."

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said, "It will put a great deal of pressure on the criminal element in Buffalo and Western New York. It's going to send a strong message that we are not going to tolerate violence in any area in the City of Buffalo."

Mayor Brown and Commissioner Derenda say this is no way in response to the recent increase in violence in the City of Buffalo. They say the "Strike Force Unit" has been in the works for several months now. However, they say it should combat violence in the city, especially going into the warm summer months.