BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A new initiative by the Buffalo Police Department is bringing officers out from behind the wheel and back into the community, on foot.
As part of the department’s new Foot Patrol Integration Unit, officers are now going door to door in neighborhoods across the city, aiming to build trust, start conversations and hear directly from residents.
Among those walking the beat is Officer Jessica Velez — whose hugs and laughter echoed down the streets during one of her patrol days.
“The greatest officer I know! I love you!” one woman shouted during a chance encounter with Velez, embracing her.
For Officer Velez, those connections are deeply personal. She grew up on Buffalo’s West Side, raised by a single mother alongside her four sisters.
“We were low-income...there wasn’t really anything to look forward to in life,” Velez said. “But I remember the officers walking the beat, playing baseball, basketball with us in the streets. I said — I want to do that.”
Now, she’s doing just that. She says it feels like a full-circle moment.
“Absolutely. It gives me chills,” she said.
WATCH: 'It gives me chills': Officer reflects on full-circle moment as Buffalo Police Dept. launches foot patrol unit
Officers are distributing door hangers with QR codes that link to surveys where residents can share concerns anonymously.
“It’s a survey — you scan it, and it gives you a few questions,” Officer Velez explained to a homeowner.
For Office Velez, this initiative is about connection.
“It’s not about a crime. It’s not about anything negative. We’re trying to fix things here in Buffalo,” she said.“When we talk to people in that different light...they’re smiling. At the end, they tell us, ‘Have a good day.’”
And those small moments — the smiles, the stories — are why she puts on the uniform every day.
“It’s talking to the people and understanding what they’re going through...that’s the reason I do this," she said.
The new foot patrols will continue throughout the summer.
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.
