BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erika Shields is officially Buffalo's new police commissioner after narrowly making it through her appointment vote in the Buffalo Common Council with a vote of five to four.
Shields is expected to start the role in May.
Two of those "no" votes came from Councilmembers Zeneta Everhart and Leah Halton-Pope, who both say they had concerns when looking into Shields' past.
As 7 News previously reported, Shields was once the Chief of Police in both Atlanta and Louisville. She stepped down from her role in Atlanta in June 2020 after a police officer shot and killed Rayshard Brooks, a black man, in the midst of the Black Lives Matter protests.
"After careful consideration, I do not believe that supporting this particular appointment is in the best interests of those I serve. That decision is based on what I've heard, what I've seen, based on what I've read, and it's based on what I think is right for the city of Buffalo," Halton-Pope said.
Halton-Pope would not say exactly what it was that she saw, read, or heard that led to her voting in the negative when I asked her to elaborate after the meeting, but added she received phone calls from people who live in Georgia who "had some concerns."
In the council's Civil Service Committee last week, Everhart said she had received a phone call "threatening" her to vote for Shields and she reiterated those allegations Tuesday, saying the threats came from people or a person "connected to" the Ryan administration. That led Scanlon to vote "no" on Tuesday.
WATCH: Erika Shields confirmed as Buffalo Police Commissioner in narrow Common Council vote
"No one in this administration, directly related to this administration, or tangentially associated with this administration, is going to threaten and try and intimidate my friend and my colleague and then ask for my vote on the same subject," Scanlon said. "For that reason, I am a no."
The Ryan administration declined to comment.
North District Representative Joseph Golombek Jr. voted "no" due to Shields' salary. The Ryan administration boosted the police commissioner pay to an annual salary of $250,000 - a hike of approximately $75,000 - to attract talent.
"That's double the median income of my neighbors my constituents, my friends," Golombek said.
The council unanimously signed-off on that pay increase back in December, including the new roles and salaries of the four new deputy mayors.
In a letter to the council, Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan said he will request the difference in pay is funded by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo's City of Buffalo Transition and Transformation fund, which is funded by philanthropic donors. The foundation would have to approve that request.
But Golombek explained he was "led to believe" the salaries of the four mayors would be paid by the transition fund in the current budget.
"That ended up not coming to pass," Golombek said. "If I would have known the money was not gonna be coming through I would not have voted for any of the candidates that have been appointed by the mayor at the increased salary."
Councilmembers Wyatt, Rivera, Feroleto, Nowakowski and Bollman voted yes.
Wyatt said he felt Shields had "integrity" judging by her answers to the council's questions last Tuesday.
"Right now if you ask any resident in the city of Buffalo 'Do you trust the Buffalo Police Department?' Many of them will say 'no'. And that's not what we want. We want someone with integrity, and that starts at the top," Wyatt said.
Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan released a statement regarding the appointment.
"I appreciate the Common Council's consideration and vote to confirm Commissioner Shields. I'm confident she will lead with integrity and help move Buffalo forward with a focus on modern policing. I look forward to working with her to deliver safer neighborhoods and stronger community trust."
Shields drew scrutiny in Atlanta from the Atlanta NAACP. The NAACP's Buffalo Branch President Rev. Mark Blue recently met with Shields and told me he hopes Shields can be "a catalyst for change in the Buffalo Police Department."
"I am disappointed in the fact that councilmembers felt they were being pressured into voting for Erika Shields as commissioner. But I will accept what the council has done. Erika Shields in our meeting said “hold my feet to the fire … anything you need from me you have direct contact and access to me.” My hope is she is the one who can be a catalyst for change in the Buffalo Police Department. We will support her in any way we can to help in the change that she needs to make."
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