Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A Buffalo Police officer was shot multiple times while responding to a call on the city's East Side on Tuesday, just days after an officer was stabbed on Broadway near Liddell Street in another officer-involved shooting.
It's a violent start for officers already wary of crime in the hot summer months.
"I'm on my way to headquarters for a debriefing on an officer that was stabbed just earlier this week, while I'm on my way to that I'm re-routed to ECMC for an officer that's sustained gunfire," said Buffalo Police Benevolent Association president John Davidson. "Both of these incidents happened in the middle of the day in the City of Buffalo."
Davidson says crime spiking in the summer months is expected, but there are other factors concerning him this year in particular.
"Everyone has been talking about how crime has been at historic lows for the past two years, but the PBA has been warning that rubber band will snap at some point," he warned.
Staffing levels across the police department may test that belief this summer.
"You've got more officers retiring than you can recruit. Last year, we had double the number of retirees than we've had in any year in the previous five. This year, to combat 47 retirees, we've only hired five and one of them has already left. So we're trying to replace 47 officers with four."
On top of that, Davidson told WBEN there's already been double-digit officer retirements this year.
Davidson points to the lack of a new police contract as one of the reasons. Police officers have been working without a contract for nearly one year.
Two Buffalo police officers injured just days apart
Two Buffalo police officers injured just days apart
