BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Buffalo Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood does not believe there is a loss of public trust in the department but acknowledged there needs to be reforms in the wake of civil unrest in Buffalo and other parts of the country.
"I wouldn't say we've lost public trust," Lockwood said to the common council on Thursday. "Things are happening around the country where…Some of the trust we have, I think we have to gain more trust, especially here in the City of Buffalo. I'm not going to sit here and speak on other cities because they have their own problems. I know that every department in the country is going through something when it comes to their residents."
City lawmakers met for their police oversight meeting for nearly three hours on Thursday. While most of involved a series of questions about police protocols in the wake of local protests and riots, there were also attempts to ask specific questions about the city's handling of the Martin Gugino incident on June 4 and about police's efforts on Wednesday morning to clear protesters out of Niagara Square.
Specifics on the cases were not discussed publicly due to ongoing investigations.
NOW: Buffalo Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood and other higher-ups at BPD are now speaking before the city council's police oversight committee. pic.twitter.com/KfdGXQqslU
— Mike Baggerman (@MikeBaggerman) June 25, 2020Lockwood stressed that community policing has been successful in Buffalo but civil unrest around the country has "shaken the foundation" locally.
Arguably the largest obstacle in reform efforts for Buffalo Police will be the police union. During the meeting, the police commissioner said their internal affairs unit lacks any substantial method to evaluate officers because the union must sign off on it.
"Because (officers) are still part of the union," Lockwood said. "They still pay union dues…It's all strange."
Buffalo Common Councilman Rasheed Wyatt said he is concerned about the lack of evaluations.
"Here we have an internal group, an internal affairs division that you can't really evaluate but you don't know how effective they are," Wyatt said. "…The answer you just gave me makes me cringe somewhat because, again, it seems as though there's not a clear process or clear way to evaluate your effectiveness. When residents complain to us about the ineffectiveness of your internal affairs unit, what do we do? We say 'the union won't allow us to'? That's not a good answer and a part of the problem with people across the country…have lost faith and trust in the process that, in many ways, is mired on so many levels, it's so difficult to get an answer."
The commissioner said he believes in and "gets" the Black Lives Matter movement that has been at the forefront of the national discussion on police. However, he said he has a situation in Buffalo where gun violence is increasing. Specifically, he said there have been 30 shootings in the city this month, six of which were fatal shootings.
"A lot of these are crimes against Black men on Black men," Lockwood said. "I'm just being honest with you. I get emails about these shootings and what's going on in our community."
Councilman Chris Scanlon shared concerns of police officers who worry that they are in a no-win situation on certain events. He asked police leaders about the emergency response team and the balance that officers have between their own personal discretion and following orders. If officers do not follow their orders, they risk being suspended because of insubordination. If they follow orders, they also risk suspension if their conduct is deemed criminal.
"It's damned if you do and damned if you don't," Scanlon said. "You have officers possibly suspended and have a major impact on their family or they are arrested and charged with a crime. How is it that officers are supposed to function if they can't use their discretion to make sure that the things they are doing is not going to negatively impact the City of Buffalo."
Lockwood suggested officers could use their discretion in certain circumstances but said every situation is different.
"Don't you see how there's kind of a catch-22 there?" Scanlon asked Lockwood. "Where they're damned if they do and damned if they don't,"
"I don't," Lockwood replied. "I don't see it."
"That's interesting," Scanlon said.
WATCH: Buffalo Common Council press police leaders on policies and procedures
Buffalo Police will now have quarterly meetings with the city council. Before, they only met twice per year.
