Following a massive blizzard that has killed at least 34 people in Erie County, New York, and continues to leave many people stranded, Buffalo police know where their priorities are: investigating thefts at dollar stores and ticketing drivers, not recovery missions.
The area has been devastated. A travel ban was issued too late, leaving many people trapped in cars or away from home when the storm moved in soon after. “On Thursday,” The Washington Post reports, “some residents were begging the top emergency official to enact a ban, with more than a dozen people across Facebook and Twitter posting and responding to County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz’s updates that they would still be forced to work given the mad rush of the holiday weekend.” By the time the travel ban was issued, winds were up to 70 miles per hour.
On Christmas Eve, Poloncarz warned in a briefing that “in the hardest-hit areas, up to two-thirds of emergency response vehicles are stuck. Fire, ambulance, police.” He added, “I have to note this, it’s not something that we’re proud of, but in the worst affected areas, there is no emergency service available.” And that included Buffalo itself.
Emergency services were understaffed and there weren’t enough plows for the city of Buffalo. All over Twitter, people are reporting that the surrounding wealthier towns had their roads cleared while Buffalo residents were still snowed in. More than 1 in 4 Buffalo residents live in poverty, and go figure, Buffalo is under-resourced … for some purposes, anyway:
Within Buffalo, the neighborhoods dominated by people of color are further underresourced:
With many Buffalo streets still unplowed, the police have gone to work—on punitive measures. As of Tuesday Buffalo still had a travel ban in place, while surrounding communities were just under a travel advisory. Not only local police but National Guard military police and state troopers were being put into place to ticket people violating the travel ban, i.e., people trying to leave after days trapped in places that might not be safe or secure, or might lack adequate food.
And the local police were all about investigating those dollar store thefts. “Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said the department has had to divert resources away from recovery missions because the crime that is occurring cannot be ignored,” WKBW reported.
”Cannot be ignored” is of course a statement of values. What the police are really saying is that they are there to protect businesses, not people in need of help. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it’s still a shocking brazen admission of priorities.
The area has been devastated. A travel ban was issued too late, leaving many people trapped in cars or away from home when the storm moved in soon after. “On Thursday,” The Washington Post reports, “some residents were begging the top emergency official to enact a ban, with more than a dozen people across Facebook and Twitter posting and responding to County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz’s updates that they would still be forced to work given the mad rush of the holiday weekend.” By the time the travel ban was issued, winds were up to 70 miles per hour.
On Christmas Eve, Poloncarz warned in a briefing that “in the hardest-hit areas, up to two-thirds of emergency response vehicles are stuck. Fire, ambulance, police.” He added, “I have to note this, it’s not something that we’re proud of, but in the worst affected areas, there is no emergency service available.” And that included Buffalo itself.
Emergency services were understaffed and there weren’t enough plows for the city of Buffalo. All over Twitter, people are reporting that the surrounding wealthier towns had their roads cleared while Buffalo residents were still snowed in. More than 1 in 4 Buffalo residents live in poverty, and go figure, Buffalo is under-resourced … for some purposes, anyway:
Within Buffalo, the neighborhoods dominated by people of color are further underresourced:
With many Buffalo streets still unplowed, the police have gone to work—on punitive measures. As of Tuesday Buffalo still had a travel ban in place, while surrounding communities were just under a travel advisory. Not only local police but National Guard military police and state troopers were being put into place to ticket people violating the travel ban, i.e., people trying to leave after days trapped in places that might not be safe or secure, or might lack adequate food.
And the local police were all about investigating those dollar store thefts. “Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said the department has had to divert resources away from recovery missions because the crime that is occurring cannot be ignored,” WKBW reported.
”Cannot be ignored” is of course a statement of values. What the police are really saying is that they are there to protect businesses, not people in need of help. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it’s still a shocking brazen admission of priorities.