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Home > Leadership > Mayor > Mayor's Plans and Proposals > Law Enforcement Action Plan Law Enforcement Action Plan
Overview During his mayoral campaign, Mayor Byron Brown introduced an aggressive Zero Tolerance law enforcement plan that targeted quality of life crimes throughout the City of Buffalo. Called Tough on Crime, Smart on Crime, the plan was designed to make policing in the city more proactive and directed at improving safety for residents and businesses alike. Since entering office, the Mayor's plan has evolved over the past several months and is consistent with Mayor Brown's decision to establish clearly defined goals and objectives in every city department, all of which will be measured through the soon-to-be-implemented CitiStat management tracking system. Working in close collaboration with Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson, the City of Buffalo's Law Enforcement Zero Tolerance Action Plan establishes clear and identifiable goals for all aspects of law enforcement within the City of Buffalo's Police Department, notably "quality of life" crimes and violations. Having visited Baltimore, Maryland on March 2nd and 3rd, Mayor Brown witnessed firsthand the detail and breadth of that city's CitiStat program, which has achieved considerable city service efficiency and accountability. The City of Buffalo's Law Enforcement Zero Tolerance Action Plan will provide for stepped-up enforcement of violations of all city ordinances that relate to quality of life issues, as well as homicides, violent crimes and robberies. It will be tailored for each of the city's five police districts, reflecting their unique and distinctive activity, as well as the Detective Division and the Traffic and Flex Units. Commissioner Gipson will meet with the Department's chiefs and brief them on their respective responsibilities, including providing the chiefs with specific goals and measurable statistical objectives. This Action Plan also addresses the existing city parking regulations and ordinances. The Corporation Counsel's opinion on the issue is contained within this Action Plan. Mayor Byron Brown's new citywide law enforcement agenda consists of the following: Law Enforcement Zero Tolerance Action Plan The Zero Tolerance Anti-Crime Program, as established through the Office of the Police Commissioner will focus on three key areas:
As noted in the Overview section, Commissioner Gipson will give each Department Chief specific goals and measurable statistical objectives for these key areas of enforcement per District. For instance, each District will be required to provide information weekly on the number of violations enforced and the number of violations enforced per shift. Ultimately, this information will be used to help provide measurable statistics for the city's CitiStat program. Under this program, police officers will engage in "Park & Walk" activities and will be required to demonstrate weekly whom they have spoken with and what has been accomplished during a given shift. Daily, police officers will be directed what to do during certain hours of the day between calls for service (e.g., Park & Walk activities; selective traffic enforcement). Other infractions of the Zero Tolerance Anti-Crime Program include: Along with the three earlier key areas of focus, these Zero Tolerance target areas form the foundation of a citywide, quality of life law enforcement agenda. Over time, depending on quantifiable statistical information, areas of focus may shift and, indeed, they may differ district to district.
The Corporation Counsel, at the direction of the Mayor, has submitted an opinion regarding parking regulations in the City of Buffalo. Within that opinion, the Corporation Counsel stated, "This [Common Council] resolution [of May 30, 2000] is not effective … until official signs changing the hours are posted." Therefore, posted signs throughout the city govern all parking regulations and should be obeyed. While posted signs take precedence, in the absence of posted signs, markings on meters must be obeyed. Accordingly, the following city parking enforcement actions will take place immediately:
Conclusion Mayor Brown's Buffalo Law Enforcement Zero Tolerance Action Plan is designed to focus law enforcement throughout the City of Buffalo on various violations that adversely affect the quality of life for all citizens. The Action Plan will be tailored to Police Districts and it is deliberately flexible, but, at its core, it will measure the effectiveness of enforcement and patrol. All statistics will be placed in the evolving CitiStat system. Additionally, it addresses parking enforcement citywide, while providing greater flexibility in the Downtown Parking District. BUFFALO LAW ENFORCEMENT KEY AREAS OF ENFORCEMENT:
All Department police officers will function as community police officers, expected to respond to all calls for service within their respective districts, but now expected to focus on specific CITY OF BUFFALO (FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY ONLY)
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