Questionable methods used in Buffalo law enforcement
The behavior of a few affects the department and police in general
There is always an element of subjectivity in law enforcement, especially when it comes to individual cases with police officers. Depending on a number of variables, an officer might let you off the hook or take you downtown, and it seems that sometimes law enforcement becomes only a factor of its titleholder's whim.
Everywhere, cops will be cops; guns and badges invariably contribute to a swelling ego, and it seems to be the ubiquitously accepted generality that police will sometimes exercise their almost replete free reign without sensible restraint.
But there is also a basic idea of how these small units of government should conduct themselves. Professionalism is an important policy to maintain, as local officers are the armed and sanctioned administrators of U.S. law. With all their power comes a great deal of responsibility.
Too many stories that pertain to the Buffalo Police Department stray from this generally accepted idea of professionalism. And though it would be unfair to lump the entire department together with its bad eggs, each individual officer represents his precinct and could carry its bad name, literally, on his sleeve.
Some police officers justify personal traffic violations in broad daylight with their emergency lights, flashing authorities that sometimes betray the integrity of their name. Others break up house parties only after they have essentially destroyed the house, creating uncouth monetary punishments to the owners and solving no problems.
Eyewitness accounts of the Scott Pettigrew stabbing follow that the Buffalo police officers did little to nothing for the victim as he lay on the sidewalk, amid a crowd of people, bleeding all over himself. When the situation is dire, we can expect the police to apply basic first aid and to intuitively control the crowd.
Many South Campus and Buffalo residents do not trust or respect the Buffalo Police Department for these reasons. Many of them do not feel safer in the company of Buffalo police, and they think that many officers are having too good of a time with their power, with which they take too many liberties.
Even one case of lacking judgment is too many in a city that truly needs its police department. But would we sacrifice their leniency for a stricter policy for enforcement?
It would be easy to say "yes."
The officer that let you drive home drunk saved your career, but he also endangered you and everyone else that was on the road with you.
It seems like there is a subtle agreement between Buffalo police and the people on whom they attend: so long as residents can put up with a bit of uncultivated conduct from the police department, they will often not have to pay fines or feel the cold steel of criminal arrest.
As we are willing to put so much power into the hands of an organization of varying professionalism, Buffalo is just like any other city.
