BPD District B: Donna Berry
"As a kid, I felt I needed to change the world from a global perspective," Buffalo Police Chief Donna Berry said. "But when I realized I couldn't change the world, I realized how important it is for each of us to change our own neighborhood."
If this is what Berry considers her task here on earth, one understands that she is never truly off duty. She belongs to a host of community endeavors, serving as board member and is also a member of her own block club. "You have to get your hands in the dishwater," Berry says of her community involvement. "You can't complain if you're not willing to work."
Some of her involvement has crossover with her day job, such as when she was on the board of the Massachusetts Avenue Project in its infancy and helped form policy for the organization—back when it was being designed to stem youth violence and before it blossomed into a green project. But Berry is also on the board of Buffalo Arts Studio because she believes in the social integrity arts and culture lend to a community. She is a member of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and a champion of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra because, she says, she realizes how important these cultural institutions are to our city.
"People like Joanna Angie, Kirk Laubenstein, Nancy Gabriel, and Anthony Armstrong are just amazing," Berry says, and she can number herself among the artists and community advocates she's just named as people who bring their talents and goodwill to the table to the benefit of an entire community.
She's at ease and affable, and gives the impression that she's strong and capable enough to eschew any affectation of toughness. One would find her personality more befitting of a laid-back resident of a home she co-owns in Palm Springs, California—that she's never lived in, but thought she might until Mayor Byron Brown personally appointed her chief of Buffalo's B District, in the heart of the theater district.
"I was slated for retirement, and ready to go," Berry says, "but I've got a beautiful Victorian on Richmond with a side yard, and a carriage house. I don't know, what could be better than that?" she asks rhetorically. "I don't have to be here. I choose to be here. I do love this city."
She's faced with her share of problems at work; Berry's is a large district with it's own issues, one of which, as she sees it, is an inaccurate perspective from the general public. Explaining that the entertainment district has a special weekend detail and that all of the downtown businesses are highly involved and work in conjunction with the police, Berry says, "I think the media outlets like to concentrate on the negative."
That's not to say there aren't issues. "Our police to population ratio is one of the lowest in the state, and Mayor Brown is working to get the numbers higher on our end. She notes that certain events present a "logistical nightmare" for her force; things like Thursday in the Square and the Taste of Buffalo. "But," she adds, "if people didn't feel safe, they wouldn't come down here."
Detective Tommy Donovan of B District, on the other hand, says that people feeling too safe may be one of the factors that helps to perpetuate crime. "So I'm watching these dudes on Chippewa, and a car full of girls pulls into the parking lot across the street," Donovan said. "They get out of the car with their purses, open the trunk, and put the purses in—in full view—and they start to walk away!"
Donovan approached the young ladies, pointed to the guys across the street and asked, "How long you think those purses are going to be in your trunk?" Purses, GPS systems, music collections—Donovan and his 6 men have a tough time keeping up with the "poppers" in his district. "A woman who works in city hall called and told me she had her purse taken off her front seat. I said, 'You haven't heard?' I'd like to get billboards that say: Don't Leave Your Valuables in Your Car!"
Donovan believes that a more conscientious public would go a long way to relieving the baskets of reports concerning car break-ins, as well as the billboards full of popper mug shots that cover the walls inside his office. "It's a numbers problem," Donovan says. "Every once in a while, we'll send guys out to look for poppers, but they ride their bikes in the opposite direction of the traffic flow so it's easier for them to watch for us."
Donovan says that city court is busy with bigger crimes and that poppers get 15 days. "To us that's bulls—t," Donovan said. "If we have a good case, we call it a quality-of-life issue and try to get a year in jail."
And then there's the root of all evil as Donovan sees it. "Drugs. They come right down the thruway from New York City. Heroin, crack, marijuana." Donovan explains that it was a three-week drug detail that turned into 28 years on the force for him. "We had a general investigation unit of four guys. We targeted a ring, set up surveillance and got them."
The dwindled force doesn't allow for as many special units, but there are other advancements the police are still in need of. "We didn't have Internet until Chief Berry came in here, and then we had it the next day. No Internet! Can you imagine?" Donovan asked. According to him, the past police commissioner and chief of B District were afraid that officers would abuse Internet privileges without giving consideration as to how the lack of it would hamper their work. Still, when officers need to make a long distance call to out-of-town law agencies or fax a document, they have to go to BPD headquarters in order to do it.
It stands to reason that when numbers are low, technology needs to increase, but Berry and Donovan would welcome more of both right now. With 21 enrolled in the police academy at present, Berry said, "Ideally, I'd love to see more police officers assigned to downtown."
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Comment Options
RhodeIslandBoy
The Grammar Police strike again. Please, BR, learn the difference between its and it's.
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MRodgers
Okay, ^^^ I'll say something constructive. Donna is there - at all hours - at all times. We are blessed to have her head up B District.
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cosmo
I was appalled at the lack of internet until now -- good for Berry! I praise both Donovan and Berry for their dedication, bravery, and efforts, and all those who walk their talk.
(A quick aside: the grammar police who read these articles are unnerving. Concentrate on content and don't miss the point because you're spell-checking. Talk about throwing out the baby with the bath water. I've seen typos in major pieces of fiction -- sure as hell never read about them in reviews.)
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RhodeIslandBoy
OK, I have been duly warned about my lack of "content." (I thought it was a bit funny that the Grammar Police showed up in a police story, but I guess some others didn't.)
Donna Berry has been a strong fighter and presence in my neighborhood. She even pulled me over once for driving a lawn tractor on city streets (although, only to commend me for mowing the grass of empty lots.) I do think the city police could do a much better job connecting with the community if they got out of their cars and walked or biked in the neighborhoods. I think the general lack of respect and belief that there is no authority would decrease if officers told people to quit walking in the middle of the street and start using the sidewalk in the middle of the summer. And I think it would be nice if, when called to a petty crime scene and asked what one can do to prevent the crime from happening again, the police had a better answer than, "move," which I have heard one too many times.
How's that?
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Kernwatch6
Donna Berry is a role model in so many ways of what a good cop & community policing should be. And, as a woman, she overcame the 'glass ceiling' in some very important ways.
Just imagine how much more effective Bflo police could be if the obsolete WW II-vintage NYS law exempting 100's of suburb-dwelling cops from city residency requirements were finally reformed?
If merely 5% of suburban-dwelling cops became as involved in city life as Berry, it could be revolutionary. And the too-common "move" advice from cops responding to crisis might become a rarity!
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mbhxam
Kern...how would you feel if you, as a Buffalo Police Officer, had a wife and children who shopped at city stores and had children who went to City schools and had to face the possibility that they would come into contact with the scum the police deal with on a regular basis all because the law forced you to live in the City limits. Many of these criminals know these officers on a first name basis and certainly know their last names. If I had a family, i would not want to run the risk of retaliation against my family by having to live in the city. I think the arguments for forcing them to lvie in the city certainly are valid, but I think the safety factor has to be considered. Maybe a compromise exists...
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Bufago
Compromise...Yes, mbhxam, we bus the scum out to the burbs and break their knees if we catch them in the City again.
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AtwaterLouse
Det. Donovan makes the key point: '...Donovan says that city court is busy with bigger crimes and that poppers get 15 days. "To us that's bulls---t," Donovan said. "If we have a good case, we call it a quality-of-life issue and try to get a year in jail."...'
The holding center and county jails are near capacity (sometimes claimed to be above capacity), and there's not enough city court judges, prosecutors, etc. to do anything other basically allow most criminals right back on the street very soon after arrests for all but very major crimes.
They can occasionally 'try to get a year in jail' in some cases as Donovan says. That's to his credit that he tries, but as things stand it can be so few and far between it doesn't make much difference.
People on BR (sbrof) and elsewhere often complain that Buffalo cops don't make enough arrests. What good does would it do to increase arrests if there's not the willingness to expand jails and courts?
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mbhxam
Ah yes...the American way...throw more and more peopel in jail. Ever see the statistics regarding incarceration of America's citizens compared to other industrialized nations...it is scary. Sorry folks...just throwing people in jail isn't going to solve the problem...it only exacerbates the problem. Again, more thought needs to be given to these problems other than "just throw them in jail for as long as possible"...
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chrishawley
Donna Berry is the greatest!!!
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sbrof
maybe if there were more cops living in the city more of them would take their jobs seriously. I know there are a lot of outstanding officers... I also know there are many who just waste space and money. As a tax payer and resident of the city I sure would feel a lot safer knowing there were cops on my street or in my neighborhood.
Plus there is NOTHING stopping people from retaliating against officers outside the city. To think that they are somehow safer because they live away from the problem is false because drug dealers and scum have cars too and if they really wanted to they would go find the officers home anywhere.
Building inspectors cost people money, make a lot of enemies but they have to live in the city. I don't think that cops should get some free ride. I Wonder if suburban police departments have residency requirements.
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blackrocklifer
As I have said before, The police are seen as outsiders because most have no stake in the city that pays them. Residency requirements (as in most suburbs) would bring dramatic change to our city and as taxpayers we should demand reform. The idea that their family might be in danger is insulting to the residents and THEIR FAMILIES who must deal with these same thugs, without the benefit of a gun or the backing of an entire police force.
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crisa
What? Why would the criminal element have a problem finding family menbers of police officers! Do the police keep their families hidden under assumed names? Was that family securety comment made by an actual police officer?
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AtwaterLouse
BRLifer - Your last sentence would make some people feel better in the misery loves company way, but as long as the thugs you write of usually receive wrist slaps from city court judges (who are already required to live in the city - lot of good that does!), what difference will it make? Detective Donovan mentions in the article above that almost always a 15 day sentence is given for car break-ins. As we know, a 15 day sentence typically means 5 days served. Makes the arrest seem pretty useless doesn't it?
Don't Buffalo cops as a whole already arrest more people than can fit in the Erie Co Holding Center downtown and eventually if convicted fit in the Erie Co Jail in Alden? Those are both generally at or over capacity, aren't they?
What exactly do you and sbrof want cops to do additionally other than more arrests that usually accomplish very little? When a thug is arrested for a major violent crime, isn't there usually a previous arrest record as long as his arm? What good will more trips into and out of city court do?
Shouldn't blame be directed at judges for soft sentences, prosecutors for too-generous plea deals, and our fellow citizens for not wanting more jail cells built?
How is it that requiring city court judges to live in the city doesn't help a lot more than it does? Not making much difference, is it?
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DanielSack
When I read that the Mayor promoted Donna to Chief I figured I was dreaming.
Donna is one of Buffalo's hidden treasures.
Thank you Donna.
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carlmalone
I can't say I'd ever agree with DanielSack, but he is right. Donna is an asset to us all in the City. She is tough as nails, gets all fired up and loves to be right in the action, not behind the desk. We should all be lucky she works for us. One of the good guys.
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crisa
I'm not the grammar police, but, as long as the gpolice are already here, (LOL), I wonder two things:
How many people know that when referring to the Internet, it is always a singular, proper noun so it is always capitalized--as in: There is only one God and only one Internet.
And, why is Buffalo spelled "Buf-alo"? Lots of people use that spelling and variations of it for their own usernames so it must have originated a while ago, but, why?
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CaptVonTrapp
mbhxam... I grew up in a police family. if "the bad guys" or "the scum" want to do harm to an officer or the officer's family, a little thing like a town line or a municipal border is not going to stop a determined person with a violent mind.
That said, the police officer in our household was highly visable name and well known as a crimebuster in various criminal communities. Our family was listed in the phone book. neither the officer, individually, was ever subject of a hit, nor were we, the family of many children.
Yes, this kind of violence is possible. No, it does not happen often. The best way to address this threat is to make it part of the crime enforcement routine. Vigillence. Reasonable arrest. Justified prosecution.
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