BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo, Boost Body and Nutrition stands as a labor of love for owner Jaclyn Sullivan.
Now, she’s noticing something new on the street outside her shop: Buffalo police officers walking the beat.
“I was driving down Hertel recently at like, 7 o'clock at night, and I just saw them walking," Sullivan said. "It stopped me. I looked up and I was like, 'No way.' I'm like, '7 o'clock at night? That's awesome.' It made me feel definitely way safer.”
Sullivan is referring to the Buffalo Police Department’s new Foot Patrol Integration Unit — four lieutenants and 16 officers assigned to walk targeted neighborhoods daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The department said officers will also leave door hangers with QR codes to collect feedback from residents.
Pastor James Giles, who leads Back to Basics Outreach Ministries and helps run Buffalo’s Peacemaker program, believes it’s a step in the right direction.
“Any initiative that is going to keep the public safe, going to keep the community safe, that’s what we’re all here for. Keep the neighborhood safe, because I want to see us be unified again,” Giles said.
But beyond public safety, Giles said these foot patrols could address deeper rifts between police and the communities they serve.
“That is one of the most significant things that can be done — to get back to the street walker,” he said. “Because one of the challenges that we had as [a] community-based group is, how do we begin to reconcile the tension that exists between law enforcement and community?”
Giles said it will also make the community more comfortable when they see law enforcement.
"And more importantly, the residual effect of that is going to be, yeah, they're going to call you now, they know you as a friend," Giles said. "They're going to call you, let you know when stuff is happening. That's how crimes get solved."
Over on Elmwood Avenue, Theresa Deutschlander has owned Thin Ice gift shop for 19 years. She said the foot patrols feel like a positive gesture from the city.
“It’s a step," Deutschlander said. "I think that it’s a great goodwill gesture, and I definitely like that [the] city wants to take more of an interest in what's going on on the ground level.”
Still, she believes the effort needs to be part of a broader strategy, not the end solution.
“But it is not a one-size-fits-all,” she said. “This isn't going to fix all the issues. So I do hope that more of the systemic issues are still going to be addressed.”
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
