Establishment of Behavioral Health Team in the City of Buffalo may be a model for other local police forces

Erie County, NY – A memorandum of agreement signed on Friday, September 11, 2020 by the Buffalo Police Department and its union, the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association (PBA) has established a newly designated Behavioral Health Team for the City of Buffalo police department.  The action came just one day before a possibly mentally-ill man was involved in an officer-involved shooting in Buffalo.

Erie County Legislator John Gilmour, vice chair of the Legislature’s Public Safety committee, was involved in the negotiations for the Behavioral Health Team as an outside counsel for the PBA.  Gilmour plans to commence discussions and dialogue about creating a similar mental health process in Erie County government.

“I want to commend the Buffalo Police Department and the PBA for coming together to develop this new team and to create new ways of thinking about mental health and protocols to assist persons and help deescalate situations that have the potential for the use of force.  As proposed, the Behavioral Health Team and Buffalo Police will follow best practices by employing specially trained officers and clinicians during an incident that involves someone who is suffering. I am confident these services will make lasting reform possible while also protecting both the police and the individuals they are sworn to serve,” stated Legislator Gilmour.

The Behavioral Health Team will consist of civilian staff and specially trained officers who are able to provide immediate crisis services for those suffering while also assisting in Law Enforcement Diversion Programs and other calls as needed.

“Events such as Saturday afternoon’s incident reflect the need for new approaches on how our law enforcement officers interact with persons experiencing mental health problems.  I look forward to discussing and potentially introducing similar initiatives in Erie County and continuing to have communication with both the Erie County Sheriff’s Office and the Erie County Departments of Central Police Services and Mental Health in the future in our Public Safety Committee.”

Schedules for Public Safety committee meetings of the Erie County Legislature are available online at www.erie.gov/legislature and are posted with an agenda by the preceding Friday. The Legislature is meeting in person but following COVID-19 health guidelines which include a health screening, mandatory mask-wearing, and abiding by social distancing measures.

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