BUFFALO, N.Y. — From Amherst to Tonawanda, to Niagara Falls to West Seneca, to Buffalo and many other communities in Western New York and around the state, locally approved comprehensive police review and reform plans were supposed to be at the state division of the budget as of April 1, with the risk of the loss of state funding for any government that failed to do so.
The Town of West Seneca citizen survey gave their police department very high marks. But they will work on better communication with the public and add a social worker to help with follow-up on cases for help with addiction and mental health issues.
Town supervisor Gary Dickson says they will add a certain device as most other departments have already done.
"The chief and his department are 100 percent supportive of body cams. They are pricey, so we have to add that in to the budget, but we think they're a good idea," Dickson said.
The City of Niagara Falls emphasizes that officials already made reforms with past federal court oversight of the department, and they built on that following last summer's demonstrations calling for reform.
In Buffalo, the plan was just approved this week by City Council. But three members voted no, including the Common Council President, the Rev. Darius Pridgen, who faulted the public comment process with this point.
"During a trial for justice for a man who died with a knee on his neck, to have four and a half days to comment on a proposal for the second largest city in New York state, I just think is not very fair, and so I couldn't support it in good conscience," he said.
Mayor Byron Brown defended the process, which included a commission of reform activists, law enforcement, and community leaders. He also lists a number of police reforms on everything from banned chokeholds to mandatory officer intervention for possible brutality incidents.
Finally in Ithaca, New York, in the Finger Lakes region, their 63-officer police department has just been revamped by the mayor and city council. Current armed members will remain for now.
But the newly named Department of Community Solutions and Public Safety will now add unarmed members called community solution workers to handle non-violent offenses such as petty crimes and other situations.