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Home > City Departments > Citizens Services > Save Our Streets Program

Save Our Streets Program


Program Coordinator - Nicole Drye
Address: 218 City Hall, Buffalo, New York 14202
Phone -  (716) 851-5094
 


The City of Buffalo’s Save Our Streets (SOS) Task Force is comprised of various law enforcement and government agencies, which include the Division of Citizen Services, City of Buffalo’s Law Department, Buffalo Police Department, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, New York State Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the United States Attorney’s Office. The charge of the Task Force is to empower residents in the community, and improve the quality of life in the City of Buffalo by ridding residential properties of drug activity in a collaborative manner. 
 
The SOS Task Force recognizes that non-traditional techniques of law enforcement must supplement traditional investigative and arrest methods. Using a coordinated approach between and among the members of the SOS Task Force, each agency is responsible for a particular problem facing the individual property. These agencies will send a response team to enforce their respective ordinances to ensure that the owners and tenants of the property are properly made accountable for any violations. For example, if a tenant of a targeted property is on probation or parole, Task Force members from the Erie County Department of Probation and the NYS Division of Parole will quickly respond to any arrests or complaints regarding that individual. If a tenant is receiving social service benefits, the Director of Investigation for the Erie County Department of Social Services will immediately investigate to determine whether that individual should continue to receive benefits.
 
The SOS Task Force is also continuing and expanding its latest prevention program, Operation Clean Sweep, with plans to offer 18 Clean Sweeps in 2007 throughout the city. In 2006, the SOS Clean Sweep Committee conducted 15 clean sweeps, which resulted in the following actions:
  • Free smoke detectors being distributed and installed, and smoke detector batteries being replaced;
  • Animal Control issuing summons and warnings for unlicensed dogs and taking dogs away;
  • The Department of Inspections issuing locations with letters for housing code violations;
  • The Clean & Seal Crew cleaning and clearing of trash and debris in vacant lots and properties, graffiti removal, boarding vacant homes, removing abandoned cars, mowing overgrown lawns, trimming trees and removing tons of trash & debris;
  • The Department of Probation making arrests on an outstanding warrant conducting probationer visits;
  • Rodent control baiting vacant homes;
  • National Fuel addressing gas leaks and removing meters;
  • Time-Warner disconnecting locations for illegal cable services and addressing issues at locations;
  • Buffalo Employment & Training Center offering referrals, resume tips, and information;
  • US Marshall conducting searches and offering enforcement;
  • New York State Parole verifying compliance;
  • Buffalo Police Department collecting intelligence; and
  • Border Patrol verifying documentations.
The SOS Task Force is also continuing its’ free Landlord Training Program. The vast majority of the attendees have enrolled voluntarily. However, City of Buffalo City Court Housing Judge Henry J. Nowak will also mandate attendance for residents he feels would benefit from the program. In addition, first time homeowners who are purchasing two family homes are being referred to our program to qualify for their mortgages. 
 
The SOS Task Force has developed a free Advanced Landlord Seminar for property owners who have completed the basic Landlord Training Program. The Advanced course runs simultaneously with the above Training Program. The Advanced seminar consists of 5 to 6 in-depth workshops that elaborate on topics covered in the basic Landlord Training. The landlords are allowed to choose up to 5 workshops to attend.