Latest News

November 3, 2020

Concerns on the Proposed SAS Data Center and Bringing Predictive Policing to Buffalo

Last week, the City of Buffalo announced a proposed 3-year contract with SAS Institute to create a data analytics center and “use predictive modeling to determine best practices,” with “police training and practices” as the first use of the technology. We urge the Buffalo …

October 27, 2020

WKBW: "Questions linger over multi-million dollar Buffalo police data analytics proposal"

By Madison Carter | October 27, 2020  A multi-million dollar funding request has landed with Buffalo’s common council. The police department is seeking to enter into a contract with SAS Data Management systems to analyze the newly announced police reforms out of Mayor …

September 25, 2020

2019 Arrest Data in Buffalo

This dataset offers some of the demographics and disparities of arrests in the City of Buffalo, based on arrest data reported by the Buffalo Police Department to New York State.

September 16, 2020

WBFO: "Motions to get involved denied, except for two, in lawsuit over Section 50-a repeal"

Oral arguments will continue next month in a lawsuit filed by the unions representing Buffalo police officers and firefighters, in their bid to halt the release of certain disciplinary and personnel records to the public. On Wednesday, all but two of several motions by parties looking to get …

July 16, 2020

Local Experts Teach Buffalo Police Department Budget 101 Workshop

Watch the full workshop recording here. City budgets and police budgets are complicated beasts. To understand how much we—as a city—spend on policing, the Buffalo Co-Lab and PPG hosted a Buffalo Police Department Budget 101 Workshop.  Guest speakers included …

June 30, 2020

Buffalo News: "With guns drawn, DEA agents terrorize tenants, but the warrant names someone else"

By Matthew Spina | June 30, 2020  When police and federal agents raid residences, they don’t always get it right. Buffalo police in 2008 used a battering ram to force their way into a West Side apartment, and threatened a family of eight with firearms, one of …

June 23, 2020

Buffalo News: Another Voice - "Buffalo needs fast, far-reaching police reforms"

By Sam Magavern | June 23, 2020 In 2016, Partnership for the Public Good and Open Buffalo published a comprehensive report on policing, titled “Collaboration, Communication, and Community-Building.” The report included detailed information about the city’s …

May 20, 2020

Buffalo News: "A Catch-22 when cops exist to serve and protect – and to ticket"

By Rod Watson | May 20, 2020 This is what it's like dealing with the Catch-22 of living in low- or moderate-income neighborhoods preyed on by thugs: You need more police protection, yet more police can mean more tickets that consume desperately needed money. It's the fiscal version of "stop …

May 6, 2020

Policy Solutions for COVID-19 Response and Recovery in Buffalo-Niagara

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. On Thursday, April 30, Partnership for the Public Good and the Cornell ILR Buffalo Co-Lab, in collaboration with ANCHOR, hosted a Buffalo Commons Community Conversation on policy solutions for COVID-19 response and recovery. The discussion …

April 22, 2020

Recommendations for Erie County Jails to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19

Infectious disease can spread rapidly in jail settings. Because of the daily turnover in staff and inmates, outbreaks are not contained within the walls of the jail but can quickly affect the health of the whole community. The speed at which an outbreak can spread within jail settings is worse than …

April 6, 2020

Buffalo News: "Coronavirus may stop a lot of things, but not parking tickets and auto impounds"

By Robert J. McCarthy|April 6, 2020 A coalition of community groups Monday called on the City of Buffalo to suspend many traffic summons, parking tickets and vehicle impoundments "in view of current hardships" stemming from the Covid-19 crisis. But city officials say they …

March 25, 2020

Coalition Shares Powerful Testimony at Bail Reform Town Hall

A town hall meeting on bail reform planned for March 18 was transitioned last-minute to an online format to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Over 70 people tuned in last Wednesday evening to hear testimony about the recent changes to bail laws from attorneys, people directly impacted by bail, and …