BUFFALO — “It reduced deaths and reduced shootings that kept people alive."
That's Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown's assessment of the disbanded Strike Force Unit of the city police department. The unit was disbanded midst heavy public criticism that officers were overly aggressive, and used bullying tactics which rankled city residents.
Now, in one of the bloodiest summers in a decade, the mayor says beleaguered resident in crime prone neighborhood have asked him to bring the unit back.
"I’ve walked door-to-door in communities, particularly those affected by violence, as I’ve talked to family members affected by violence, as I’ve talked to people who have witnessed violence, that’s what they have said. That’s what they have expressed,” said Mayor Brown Monday morning.
Hours before sun-up, someone pumped gunfire into a home on Hurlock Street on the city's east side. A 12-year-old boy was wounded. Police say he is in stable condition at Oishei Children's Hospital.
This is the latest episode in a Buffalo summer punctuated by gun violence. There were ten homicides in July alone and countless other shootings.
WATCH: Increase In Gun Violence In Buffalo
Common Council Member Rasheed Wyatt was the first elected official to ask publicly whether Strike Force should be re-assembled.
2 On Your Side's journalism partner, Investigative Post, has done extensive reporting on Strike Force. It found at least ten criminal cases which came apart when Strike Force methods were revealed.
“A major reason why people don’t cooperate with police in criminal investigations is the bully tactics of Strike Force. So, for me, talk of reviving it is potentially counter-productive,” says Jim Heaney, executive editor at Investigative Post.
Indeed, Mayor Brown has been pleading for city residents to come forward with information so criminal cases can be made against the shooters, through to largely be street gang members.
But law enforcement acknowledges that these witnesses are often too afraid of becoming the next shooting vitim if they cooperate with investigators.