By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – Another round of one-officer patrol cars begins this morning in the city of Buffalo. This time officers in the D-District on Hertel Avenue head out to patrol the streets alone in their vehicle.
They are now the second district to transition to one-officer patrols. Last month officers at the B-District on Main Street downtown were the first.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Rocco Diina said the first round has proven to be "very successful". He said one-officer cars has reduce police response time.
"We are answering calls much quicker. Visibility has been tremendous. The B-District runs through the business community downtown, and the commercial stripe along Elmwood Avenue to Ferry," said So many people have commented on seeing more police."
Diina said they are still working out some of the "kinks."
The change is part of the union's contract agreement with the city. The deal guarantees retro-active pay and raises, but is expected to save the city money over the life of the contract.
And according to Buffalo Police Benevolent Association Treasurer Bill Misztal, the first round of those pay raises arrived Thursday.
"There's another payment due in a couple of weeks, then another payment after that. It's all part of the agreemnt for one-officer cars."
Just last week Erie County Executive Joel Giambra called for postponing the those raising, saying it would only complicated the City's fiscal troubles.