In the wake of the Trayvon Martin case, Buffalo Common Council Member Darius Pridgen wants to make sure neighborhood watch groups and block clubs know how to handle certain situations. The Ellicott District lawmaker is calling for a formal training program.
"We have probably the best block clubs in the nation, and I'm not blowing smoke when I say that. They're organized, they're volunteers and they're very active," Pridgen said.
But Pridgen says the best way to prevent what happened in Florida from happening here is to make sure these groups know exactly what we want them to do and what we don't want them to do.
To that end, Pridgen has introduced legislation that would require every neighborhood watch and block club recognized by the city to take part in a training program prepared by the Commission on Citizens Rights & Community Relations, the Department of Citizen Services and others.
"We're looking at things like training against racial profiling, training on how to respond if someone seems to be quote, suspicious, unquote in your neighborhood," Pridgen said.
Pridgen also wants to make sure group members understand the importance of following the directions of police and emergency dispatchers. He says the goal is to keep watch members out of harm's way and to prevent an incident like the one in Florida. Pridgen's proposal goes before the Buffalo Common Council Tuesday.