BPD officers to wear name badges, except during civil unrest

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Buffalo Police officers will once again be required to wear their name badges on their uniforms, with the exception of protests and civil unrest. The badge number must be displayed at all times.

Commissioner Byron Lockwood says the decision was made recently. "We've been talking about this for a while, and it's just something we decided on," says Lockwood. The announcement came during the Buffalo Common Council police oversight committee meeting.

Lockwood along with Capt. Jeff Rinaldo say officers must display their last names on their shirts or spring jackets when interacting with the public, with the exception of protests. That was because of officers and their families being doxxed last summer. "This aligns with the practices of many other police departments as we try to balance transparency and safety," notes Rinaldo.

Rinaldo says restoring the names to uniforms will take some time. "Obviously, we're in the middle of winter so it'll be a slower process to restore them to outer garments. But we will resume the practice," says Rinaldo.

Lockwood says in the case of a protest or civil unrest, there will be a velcro attachment where officers can remove their name tag.

John Evans, president of the Buffalo PBA issues a statement, "Once again the men and women of the Buffalo Police Department have to learn about potential changes to a policy that could impact their safety, on and off the job, through the media rather than through the department's top brass. The fact is that the Buffalo PBA has not received any notification related to potential changes in the current policy about wearing name badges on their uniforms. The department's decision several months ago to remove name badges and revert to using badge numbers was due to officers and their families being physically threatened by protesters and members of fringe groups unsupportive of the men and women of the Buffalo Police. Unfortunately, the Mayor and police top brass are allowing themselves to be intimidated and placating to the interests of these fringe groups who have no desire to protect the men and women of the Buffalo Police and their families. And officers' names are still currently provided on various items, including citations and appearance tickets provided to suspects.