Buffalo Police Officers no longer required to display names on badges, can wear badge number instead

Buffalo Police officers are no longer required to display their names on their badges after a change in departmental rules.

GOOD EVENING.POLICE OFFICERSARE NO LONGERREQUIRED TO WEARTHEIR NAMES ONTHEIR UNIFORMS.THE SUDDEN CHANGECOMES AS PROTESTSAGAINST "POLICEBRUTALITY" HAVEPICKED BACK UP INDOWNTOWNBUFFALO.GILAT MELAMEDTAKES A CLOSERLOOK AT WHEN THEDEPARTMENT MADETHE SWITCH.WHAT WAS ONCE AVIOLATION.

IS NOWACCEPTABLE IN THEBUFFALO POLICEDEPARTMENT.BPD CAPTAIN JEFFRINALDO SAYS THECOMMISSIONERISSUED AN ORDEREARLY LAST WEEK.IT LETS OFFICERS TOCOVER THEIR NAMEAND DISPLAY THEIRBADGE NUMBERINSTEAD.RINALDO SAYS THECHANGE IN POLICY ISA RESPONSE TODOXING, AND AIMS TOPROTECT OFFICERS.HE SAYS MORE THANA DOZEN OFFICERSRECEIVED THREATS."IT IS EXTREMELYSERIOUS THERE HASBEEN SOMEABSOLUTELYDISGUSTING THINGSSAID ABOUTOFFICERS AND THEIRSMALL CHILDREN ANDTHREATS TO THEIRWELL BEING ONWEBSITESTHE MOVE COMESAFTER MONTHS OFPROTESTS FORPOLICE REFORM INTHE CITY.PEOPLE HAVE CALLEDFOR MAYOR BROWNAND COMMISSIONERLOCKWOOD'SRESIGNATION.INCLUDINGTHURSDAY NIGHT."THAT ISDISTURBING."CONCERNS WERERAISED LESS THAN AMONTH AGO.OFFICERS COVEREDTHEIR NAME TAGS ATA PROTEST ONHERTEL AVENUE.IT WAS AGAINSTDEPARTMENT POLICYAT THE TIME."WHY DO POLICE GETTO HIDE BEHIND AVAIL.

RIGHT THEYALREADY HAVEQUALIFIED IMMUNITY,WE ALREADY HAVEJUDGE SEDITA WHOWAS BLOCKING THEREPEAL OF 50A TOGET ACCESS TODISCIPLINARYRECORDS OF POLICEWHO ARE BADACTORS, AND NOWTHE MAYOR IS TAKINGIT ONE STEPFURTHER."MAYOR BYRONBROWN SAYS EVERYPOLICE OFFICERSHOULD BEIDENTIFIED.RINALDO SAYSPEOPLE CAN STILLFILE COMPLAINTSWITHOUT A NAME."THEY CAN UTILIZETHE NUMBER THAT'SVISIBLE THEY CANASK THE OFFICERFOR THEIR BADGENUMBER WHICH THEOFFICER BY POLICYHAS TO DIVULGE TOTHE CITIZEN ASKINGFOR IT."THE POLICY CHANGEWAS NOT PUBLICLYANNOUNCED BY THECITY OR THE POLICEDEPARTMENT WHENIT INITIALLYHAPPENED.IN BUFFALO, GILATMELAMED, 7EYEWITNESS NEWS.