BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Police Department has released six bodycam videos showing just how tough it was for police officers to get to those needing help during the storm.
"I wanted the community, I wanted everyone to see exactly what happened based on what we talked about," Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said.
The videos, taken on Dec. 23 and 24, show officers guiding stranded drivers. But you also see just how many people they rescued who had been stuck in their cars for hours. In one case, an officer got to eight people who were stuck in a building without power.
According to Gramaglia, officers ended up taking in about 60 people at the C-District station. He says other stations took in at least 10 people each.
Miraculously, no officers were injured despite the conditions. Because they were so bad, at times, police officers had to walk to get to emergencies.
Gramaglia is now looking into purchasing UTVs, or Utility Terrain Vehicles, which cost about $35,000 each.
"Look, we're not the only ones. A lot of other agencies now are looking at these UTVs. They have the option of taking off a tire change. You can take the wheel off and put a tractor tread on them, so we're looking at those options," Gramaglia said Friday.
It's undetermined how many the department would need but he says they could be used year-round. Buffalo Police officers worked 40 hours or more that weekend, even recovering dead bodies.
"That isn't the function of the police department but they did it. They knew the job had to be done," Gramaglia said.
"We saw the unfortunate toll and the death toll that has come out of this storm. Had we not been able to get to the numerous people that our officers did, there would have been a substantially higher number of death."
He says any officers who are suffering in silence should ask for help from the department.
To watch the videos, click here.