First of Brown's police changes to be rolled out Wednesday

Starting Wednesday, Buffalo police officers will issue appearance tickets instead of handcuffing and transporting suspects for low-level offenses to a police station to be booked. Instead, with appearance tickets, the person will be allowed "to go on their way," Brown said.

"It's still technically an arrest, but the person will have to appear at some time in the future," he said during a City Hall press conference.

Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood issued the order Monday, providing officers with guidance for the implementation of the appearance ticket policy, Brown said. Since Jan. 1, following the implementation of bail reform laws, almost all arrests for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies result in appearance tickets.

In addition to that change, "stop receipts" will be issued by police officers for all traffic stops to give people a clearly defined reason why the officer initiated the stop, Brown said.

"A stop receipt is a written statement by the police officers that explains what the officer observed and prompted them to make a stop," Brown said. "This is an entirely new practice and process in the City of Buffalo."

Also beginning Wednesday, fix-it tickets will give vehicle owners seven days – instead of just 24 hours – to fix equipment violations on their automobiles and avoid penalties or fines.

And the Buffalo Police Department and city webpages will have a new link to information on the Buffalo Reform Agenda and will display the body camera and "use of force" policies and the Manual of Procedures.

The reforms that begin Wednesday represent the first round of changes to the Buffalo Police Department that Brown announced on June 10, amid protests here and elsewhere over police behavior in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

The other changes that Brown wants include:

• No longer having the Emergency Response Team respond to peaceful protests.
• Making police body camera footage more easily accessible to the public.
• Directing Commissioner Lockwood and his leadership team to incorporate a law enforcement assisted diversion program into the existing community policing program.
• Giving Buffalo police officers additional training in de-escalation, recognizing implicit bias and developing trauma-informed practices.
• Convening a special commission to examine current procedures to make recommendations to shift the city's policing model to a restorative approach.
• Restructuring the fines and fee schedules so they do not become an undue burden on economically struggling people.