BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Protesters in Buffalo say they want more than just police reform. They want the Buffalo Common Council to defund the police.
Buffalo lawmakers brushed off those suggestions last week when they passed the department’s $86 million budget.
So 7 Eyewitness News dug into that budget to see what your money is paying for.
- 86 percent of the police budget is used on the "public safety" category.
- 12 percent of the budget goes toward administration.
- Less than 2 percent of the budget is used for fleet and building maintenance.
The Buffalo Police Department employs more than 1,000 people, including nearly 800 officers and police brass. The rest are "civilian" employees like mechanics and clerical workers.
The budget also sheds light on what those employees do.
- Each year, Buffalo Police respond to about 205,000 calls to 911.
- Officers make between 12,000 and 13,000 arrests each year.
- They investigate roughly 50 murders each year.
- The men and women of the BPD also make about 365 drug-related arrests -- an average of one each day.
The recently-passed $86 million budget is actually three million dollars less than this year. Click here to read a copy of the budget.
