New data from the City of Buffalo reveals where police checkpoints happen more frequently and the outcomes of those checkpoints.
At the request of the Common Council, Buffalo Police kept detailed records of all police checkpoints for August and September. The Council released the information publicly, but separated data by council district to avoid revealing specific locations of the checkpoints.
Here are the council districts and number of checkpoints by Buffalo Police from August to September 2017:
- Lovejoy, 27
- North, 24
- Niagara, 21
- South, 12
- Fillmore, 11
- Delaware, 10
- Masten, 7
- University, 5
- Ellicott, 4
"I think what most people were very concerned about is to ensure that all of the checkpoints were not happening in one district or in one area," explained Council President Darius Pridgen.
Pridgen is happy to learn that every corner of the city is subject to the police checkpoints. He says there are a number of factors that police use to determine where and when to post a checkpoint. One thing they look at is complaints from neighbors.
"I don't expect that this report will ever show where it will be totally equal on every side of town because different needs are in different sides of town," he said.
Data shows police mostly found minor traffic violations. Officers did, however, seize one illegal gun and, on three occasions, drugs were found in the vehicle.
The Common Council plans to continue to make these reports public. Pridgen says Buffalo Police have also gathered information on checkpoints from the six months before the initial request was made and will provide that within the next several weeks.
