City lawmakers are considering getting more Tasers for the Buffalo Police Department than what was proposed originally, despite a call from some community groups asking the Common Council to refuse funding for any additional weapons for police.
But in a move that is in line with what many community members want, Council members asked for more information on a $2.9 million proposal to create a data center to track and evaluate police training and practices in the field.
The proposals are the latest in Mayor Byron W. Brown’s Buffalo Reform Agenda that includes the creation of an advisory panel to examine the city’s police policies and make recommendations; limits on no-knock search warrants; a stop receipt policy that requires officers to issue written statements for all traffic stops; and the repeal of 15 vehicle fines that were instituted in 2018.
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The Council's Finance Committee directed Police Capt. Jeff Rinaldo Wednesday to find out the additional costs to purchase more Tasers.
The $1 million, six-year phased-in program calls for 515 Tasers to be purchased and all officers to be trained on the proper use of the devices.
This year, 85 Tasers, along with device maintenance, will be purchased. Ten patrol officers per the five patrol districts, per shift, would be equipped with the Tasers, Rinaldo said.
Some community groups say that money and time would be better invested in adding services such as diversion programs, civilian oversight and community-based health programs.
“At any given point, there should be at least 50 of these devices on the street 24/7,” Rinaldo said.
Of the remaining devices, at least 10 would be reserved in case some of the Tasers in circulation break or are not working properly. The department’s Behavioral Health Team and some of the traffic units also would be equipped with the devices. And some would be used to train officers, Rinaldo said.
Still, under the plan, there’s a chance a patrol officer responding to a call would not have a Taser, Rinaldo said, but that officer could call for assistance from another officer who has a device and could respond from the same district or a neighboring one.
But the committee is interested in equipping more officers with Tasers and directed Rinaldo to consult with the manufacturer to find out the additional cost to increase the number to put about 20 Tasers, up from 10, into the five patrol districts.
Twenty Tasers "would more than adequately guarantee that everyone working would have one,” said Rinaldo, who will report back to the Council before Tuesday’s regular business meeting.
A Buffalo City Court judge set bail at $15,000 Wednesday for Willie Henley, the 60-year-old Buffalo man who was shot Sept. 12 by a Buffalo police officer and was charged with assault for allegedly hitting another police officer with a baseball bat.
The Taser debate took center stage again after Willie N. Henley, who was having a mental health episode Sept. 12, was shot in the abdomen by police after he hit one of the officers with a bat. A couple of rounds of pepper spray did not subdue him, police said.
Henley was charged with assault, and the incident touched off multiple protests and raised questions about why officers don't have Tasers or other less-lethal weapons to use in such situations.
Included are the creation of a data center to track and evaluate police training and practices in the field; the permanent phased-in use of Tasers; and a BolaWrap pilot program.
More than 15,000 other law enforcement and military agencies have Tasers in widespread use.
The committee on Wednesday also requested more information on the data center proposal, including a list of municipalities and agencies that are using data centers and a full presentation of the product for the public.
“We need more information on how this benefits our case ... as we look at police reforms,” said Committee Chairman Rasheed N.C. Wyatt, who represents the University District.
