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Mayor Brown Announces Creation of Violent Crime Task Force

Buffalo Police Department-Led Multiple Law Enforcement Agency Task Force Will Target the "Worst of the Worst" Offenders

BUFFALO — Mayor Byron W. Brown today announced the creation of a new Violent Crime Task Force that will target violent, repeat offenders, helping to rid city streets of individuals or groups of individuals who commit heinous, violent crimes.

Led by Chief of Detectives Dennis J. Richards, the Violent Crime Task Force will include representatives of various law enforcement agencies, including: FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Attorney, District Attorney, State Parole, New York State Police and the Buffalo Police Department. The Task Force will be housed in Buffalo Police Department headquarters on Franklin Street.

"The Violent Crime Task Force will focus on the most violent criminals, bringing to bear the combined resources of all our law enforcement partners, and getting these people off of our streets, prosecuted and sent to where they belong - jail," said Mayor Brown. "This cooperative effort between these agencies forms the centerpiece of the Buffalo Police Department's enhanced law enforcement strategy, which will put intense pressure on the criminals and ultimately bring them to justice."

The Task Force will be an intelligence-based unit, targeting the "worst of the worst" and narrowing investigations, arrests and prosecution of the city's and region's most violent offenders.  They will hone in on parole violators, repeat offenders (e.g., assaults & domestic abuse) and will process intelligence through the state-funded Erie Crime Analysis Center, which is already located in Buffalo Police Department headquarters.

"The mission of the new Task Force will be to reduce overall violent crime, with a focus on reducing homicides and gun-related crimes," said Buffalo Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda. "W e intend to put pressure on the bad actors victimizing law abiding citizens and we will be unrelenting in our pursuit of them."

Included in the Task Force will be the Buffalo Police Department's newly formed Violent Crime Impact Team, which is composed of six detectives and two detective sergeants who report directly to the Chief of Detectives. The Department's Mobile Response Unit will also play an active role in the Task Force's operations.

The formation of the Violent Crime Task Force follows the Buffalo Police Department's ongoing effort to form collaborative partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and to incorporate "best practices" to strengthen and build upon the continuing success of the Department's anti-crime activities.

"The strategic partnerships and intelligence-driven policing protocol announced today by Mayor Brown perfectly complement the work of the Crime Analysis Center, which we opened here two years ago, and Operation IMPACT, Governor Paterson's premier crime fighting program upstate," said Acting Commissioner Sean M. Byrne of the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. "The Governor recently committed $1.6 million in IMPACT aid to Erie County for initiatives targeting firearm-related crime and domestic violence. With that investment and the initiatives launched today by Mayor Brown we are sending a message to the criminal element: The gloves are off. "

To support the Task Force's law enforcement mission, the Buffalo Police Department recently completed the installation of the last surveillance camera of Phase II of the Department's citywide surveillance camera system.

There are now 125 surveillance cameras in operation across the city and they will provide important information to the Task Force, as well as other Buffalo Police Department anti-crime operations.