Buffalo Police Commissioner Erika Shields says officers were already stretched across several planned events before an online-promoted street takeover near East Delavan and Grider grew out of control, leading to 11 people being shot.
Buffalo Police Benevolent Association President John Davidson says officers working that night were dealing with shootings, large crowds and exhaustion. What he describes is a department already spread too thin.
“Our members are working increased hours, and so even if every officer that was there filled a position, they may have not been the absolute best version of themselves," he said.
Davidson says officers reported being spit on, having fireworks thrown at them and, in one case being urinated on. He says the answer is not just a different plan for the next major event, but a larger effort to recruit and retain officers.
“We’re losing officers at record pace, and we’re not bringing in any officers. And the reality is the Buffalo PBA needs the city to join us, Mayor [Sean] Ryan to join us at the table and come up with creative and dynamic ways to recruit officers and retain officers,” Davidson said.
He also says the union has been without a contract for more than a year and that there have been no negotiation talks since Ryan took office.
“The mayor needs to first acknowledge that we are without a contract, and that we are entitled to collectively bargain and negotiate a contract," he said.
Davidson says the department’s challenges go beyond one promoter or one night. While he says the union supports Commissioner Shields’ plan to pursue action against the event promoter — including possible civil or criminal consequences — he says the city also needs to address staffing before the next large summer event.
“I think you look at the totality of the circumstances in a situation like this. This promoter was one bad actor, and it sounds like he had a lot of influence in some of the chaos of the city that night. I don’t think you can put the singular blame on him,” he said.
