BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Police officers only displaying a badge number and not a name is problematic to some people, but not to Buffalo Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood who said it was his decision.
"I made the determination to change the identification based on the need of officer and public safety," Lockwood said during the Buffalo Common Council's police oversight committee meeting Tuesday morning.
Lockwood said police officers have received phone threats and have been harassed.
"There was a rising harassment concern with officers and their families," Lockwood said. "And in order to allow officers to do their jobs without fear I made the determination."
John Elmore of the Minority Bar Association of WNY said, "I think that this is a movement in the wrong direction when it comes to police transparency."
Elmore suggested if an officer is harassed then the officer should arrest those responsible. He also suggested that the department should take a lesson from Syracuse.
"They recently adopted a 'Right to Know' law, which is aimed at police accountability," Elmore said. "The law requires an officer to give his or her name, their rank, their command at the onset of any questioning for any traffic stop - the officer must give a reason for the stop. And at the end of the interaction if there's no arrest, the officer will leave a business card."
Elmore says the business card would have the officer's name and phone number for the department.
Buffalo Common Council President Darius Pridgen suggested the department should review the law in Syracuse.
During the meeting there was a also recommendation by the police advisory commission for an oversight commission made up of citizens and no elected officials.
