BUFFALO, N.Y. — A package of three reforms aimed at making the Buffalo Police Department more accountable and responsive to the needs of the residents it serves will soon be on its way to the city's Common Council for consideration.
Mayor Byron Brown and Council President Darius Pridgen issued a joint statement Friday outlining the changes. This comes after a summer of unrest in the city that saw protests and vandalism that often led to criticism over how the Buffalo Police responded to those incidents. Also, back in June, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an Executive Order for all communities across the state with police departments to develop a local reform plan before April 1, 2021.
The first of the three items calls for a contract for the creation of a data center that will track and and evaluate police training and practices in the field. The data will allow the department to track, in almost real time, the effectiveness of community policing training, new equipment, and new policies to establish best practices for public safety and protection. It is also expected to increase transparency, something members of the community have long demanded.
Next, officers in each district will be some of the first in the department to use tasers as the non-lethal technology is implemented in a phased-in approach. The plan is for the city to buy 85 of them next year, which also includes the cost of maintenance and training. Over the six-year contract with Axon Enterprises, 515 will be purchased and all officers will be trained on their proper use.
The previously announced bolawrap pilot program will be tested by the department's Behavioral Health Team. Throughout the six month trial, officers will help determine how effective it is in keeping residents and officers safe. Wrap Technologies is partnering with Buffalo Police to test the program at no cost.
“These three items represent significant progress for our Police Department. Technology has the potential to make policing safer, more accountable, and more responsive to the needs of the community," said Mayor Brown. "That is why I am proud to partner with Council President Pridgen in bringing these additional reforms to our Police Department. In combination with the other steps my Administration has taken as part of the Buffalo Reform Agenda, I am confident that these action items will provide the resources to speed the pace of change that residents expect in reforming police practices.”
“I’m glad to work with the Mayor’s office to continue to make strides at reforming how we police here in the City of Buffalo," said Council President Pridgen. Since at least 2017, the Common Council has been requesting our officers to be equipped with non-lethal methods so that a gun is not the first option to detain a person. I hope that these purchases and pilot programs will continue the radical shift for policing and that officers and citizens get home safely.”
The cost of implementing the three reforms is expected to come from grant funding, along with anticipated federal disaster relief, reducing the burden on a city budget already strained by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.