Buffalo’s Micro Hot Spot Policing Strategy Leads to Significant Drop in Gun Violence
Buffalo, New York has implemented a new policing strategy called micro hot spots that has resulted in a substantial decrease in gun violence, according to an analysis of Buffalo Police Department data conducted by researchers from SUNY Buffalo State. The strategy involves having police officers patrol on foot and engage with community members in areas that have seen recent shootings and incidents of shots fired. While the primary focus of the program is not to issue tickets or make arrests, officers have the authority to do so if they witness criminal activity or traffic violations.
Since the informal implementation of the micro hot spot program in July 2021, followed by its formal enactment in March of this year, the city has experienced a 51% drop in gun homicides and a 23% decrease in non-gang related shootings. Researchers Scott W. Phillips and Dae-Young Kim from Buffalo State’s criminal justice department credit the program for at least being partially responsible for these reductions in gun violence. The authors of the analysis assert that the micro hot spot initiative in Buffalo has played a significant role in curbing gun violence after its implementation.
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia emphasized that the program’s aim is to target trigger pullers and gun traffickers. The decrease in gun-related homicides can be observed in the overall decline in homicides in Buffalo this year when compared to the past three years. As of now, there have been 34 homicides in the city, whereas by the end of September in previous years, the numbers had already surpassed 50. Although there was a reduction in gang-related shootings, researchers found that the program’s effects in this area were not statistically significant.
The hot spot initiative divides the city into grids, tracks shooting incidents, and directs officers to the areas with the highest levels of activity. Officers visit these hot spots throughout the day and spend approximately 10 to 15 minutes in each location as a physical deterrent. It is worth noting that the decline in gun violence in Buffalo began before the implementation of the program, making it difficult to establish the program’s sole impact on reducing crime.
Buffalo is not the only city experiencing a decrease in homicides. An analysis of crime data from 37 U.S. cities by the Council on Criminal Justice found that rates for various crimes remained the same or decreased during the first six months of this year compared to the same period in 2020. While violent crime levels are still higher than in 2019, homicide rates in the cities analyzed decreased by approximately 9% in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in the previous year.
Critics of hot spots policing argue that this strategy often leads to the over-policing of poor communities of color, resulting in disproportionate arrests and tickets. The researchers who conducted the analysis of the micro hot spot program in Buffalo examined data from January 2018 to May 2021, taking into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Buffalo police officials have actively engaged with the community, leading to increased cooperation from the public and more successful detective work. The decrease in shootings and homicides has also allowed detectives to dedicate more time to ongoing cases. While it is challenging to prevent homicides that involve stabbings or domestic incidents, Commissioner Gramaglia expressed confidence in the police department’s ability to impact gun-related crimes positively. Thus far, Buffalo police have cleared 23 homicides this year, and they anticipate clearing additional cases in the near future.
In conclusion, Buffalo’s micro hot spot policing strategy has demonstrated promising results in reducing gun violence. The focus on engaging with the community and targeting areas with high levels of shooting incidents has contributed to a significant decrease in gun homicides and non-gang related shootings. While the program’s impact on gang-related shootings was not statistically significant, overall, the strategy has played a role in curbing gun violence in Buffalo.
