BUFFALO, N.Y. - The hearts of everyone in the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association are with the families of the officers shot in Baton Rouge. The PBA is now looking to make some changes following a recent threat against police here at home.
"I applaud Commissioner Derenda in acknowledging the threat level that's going on in this country and putting two people in a car. I've always felt we should be a two-person car crew. It's not only a safety issue, but when you have two people in a car crew, there's more crimes that you can see," said Kevin Kennedy, the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association president.
Kennedy says right now, Buffalo has more officers than patrol cars anyway, and he doesn't think having two in a car restricts the ground the department can cover. Just last week, a man was arrested for making threats against Buffalo police, but Kennedy says those who wear a badge are always at risk.
"I've had to bury four of my compatriots, I've also in my lifetime had to bury an uncle that was on this job. Police officers wear a target every single day," said Kennedy.
Along with assigning two officers to a car, Kennedy says officers need more training to diffuse hostile situations and thinks patrol rifles should be instituted across the country.
"I know that's a touchy subject, but as you've seen with the incident in Dallas and the incident in Baton Rouge, they were patrol officers encountered persons with higher firepower than they had at their hip," said Kennedy.
As far as emotional support, Kennedy says there's good communication within the department, and they're working to offer more as far as counseling.
"Unfortunately, we don't have a very good system right now. We're working with some of our providers to develop a better system to address these needs," said Kennedy.
While the recent shootings have highlighted issues between police and the public, Kennedy thinks Buffalo police have positive relationships with community block club leaders.
"We're out here to do a job. That's it. It doesn't really matter where you're from, what your socio-economic background is or what the color of your skin is," said Kennedy.