Buffalo Common Council Member calls for emergency meeting with Police Commissioner Lockwood

Buffalo Common Council Member Chris Scanlon is calling for an emergency meeting with Buffalo Police Commissioner Byron Lockwood, Deputy Commissioners Barbara Lark and Joseph Gramaglia, and other leaders in the Buffalo Police Department.

GOOD EVENING.LOCAL LEADERS ARECALLING FORCHANGES AT THEBUFFALO POLICEDEPARTMENT.THIS COMES FIVEDAYS AFTER TWOOFFICERS PUSHED A75-YEAR-OLD MANDURING A PROTEST.GILAT MELAMED ISLIVE IN FRONT OFBUFFALO POLICEHEADQUARTERS.GILAT -- SOME PEOPLEARE ASKING FORTHESE CHANGES TOHAPPEN SOONERRATHER THAN LATER.RIGHT NOWASHLEY THEBUFFALO COMMONCOUNCIL WILL HAVETO WAIT 7 WEEKS TOASK POLICELEADERSHIPQUESTIONS.THAT'S WHEN THEPOLICE OVERSIGHTCOMMITTEE MEETINGIS.BUT JUST A FEET AWAYFROM HERE INNIAGARA SQUAREPROTESTERS HAVESPENT A WEEK AND AHALF DEMANDINGANSWERS AND POLICEACCOUNTABILITY.AND NOW A COMMONCOUNCIL MEMBER ISDEMANDING THEMTOO."I THINK THE BUFFALOPOLICE DEPARTMENT,THE MANAGEMENTAND THE LEADERSHIPTHERE HAVE A LOT OFQUESTIONS THATNEED TO BEANSWERED."BUFFALO COMMONCOUNCIL MEMBERCHRIS SCANLON ISCALLING FOR ANEMERGENCY MEETINGBETWEEN THECOMMON COUNCILAND POLICELEADERSHIP."WE ARE ELECTED TOREPRESENT THEPEOPLE OF THE CITYOF BUFFALO AND IBELIEVE WE SHOULDNOT HAVE TO WAITTHAT LONG FORANSWERS."QUESTIONS SCANLONHAS FOR POLICELEADERSHIP INCLUDE:WHO GIVES ORDERSTO THE EMERGENCYRESPONSE TEAMHOW ARE ERTMEMBERS TRAINED TOCONTROL CROWDSAND WHO OVERSEESTHE INTERNAL AFFAIRSDIVISION THATINVESTIGATES RANKAND FILE POLICE.RIGHT NOW THEPOLICE OVERSIGHTCOMMITTEE MEETINGIS JULY 28TH."HERE IS MYCONCERN, THAT ISSOME TIME AWAY, 8WEEKS TO GETANSWERS ON ASITUATION TO GETSITUATION THAT ISVERY VERY FLUID ANDWHEN I SAY FLUID IMEAN LIKE GASOLINENOT LIKE WATER."RIVERA SAYS THE JULY28TH DATE WORKEDBEST FOR THECOMMISSIONER'SSCHEDULE.HE SAYS MEETINGSWILL BE HELDQUARTERLY -- INSTEADOF TWICE PER YEAR."WE'VE ASKED IN THEPAST FOR ADDITIONALMEETINGS IT'SUNFORTUNATE ITTOOK AN INCIDENTLIKE THIS FOR THEMTO RECONSIDER ANDACTUALLY DO IT."SCANLON SAYS HEBELIEVES A QUOTE"LACK OFLEADERSHIP" IS WHATCAUSED PROBLEMSOVER THE PAST WEEKAND A HALF.AS FOR WHETHER HETHINKS THERE NEEDSTO BE A CHANGE INLEADERSHIP."UHMM YOU KNOWDEPENDING UPON THEANSWERS THAT WERECEIVE QUITEFRANKLY MAYBEWE'VE REACHED THATPOINT."RIVERA SAYS HEREACHED BACK OUTTO THECOMMISSIONER AFTERTHE COUNCILMEETING, AND ISWAITING TO HEARABOUT AN EARLIERDATE.THE COMMONCOUNCIL ALSO SENTTHE COMMISSIONERAN OFFICIAL REQUESTFOR AN EMERGENCYSESSION.LIVE OUTSIDEBUFFALO POLICE