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In the old days, when a police officer stopped an individual in a vehicle or on the street, the citizen could be relatively sure who they were dealing with – a trained, armed, local law enforcement officer with powers of arrest. But these days it's a crapshoot. The person in the uniform could be a volunteer, a security guard with a uniform that looks very much like the ones local cops wear, or even a police imposter with a homemade badge and a mail order light rack.
It's hard enough for the public to figure all that out, but you know the situation is bad when a police commissioner comes out against the aggressive enforcement activities of non-sworn volunteers. That volunteer police force patrolling some city neighborhoods has engaged in improper enforcement activities, according to Buffalo, New York's police commissioner.
In response to a proposal that would give the volunteers the power to issue tickets to people who make excessive noise and commit other quality-of-life offenses, Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson responded with a letter to the Common Council. "The Buffalo Special Police have engaged in the enforcement of activities beyond their scope, i.e., conducting searches and detaining people without just cause or due process," Gipson told lawmakers in his letter.
The head of the volunteer force said the allegations are baseless. "I have no idea what he's talking about," Ernest LaPlante told reporters. LaPlante also said he thinks Gipson's concerns have more to do with politics than law enforcement. Commissioner Gipson's letter raises several concerns about the Buffalo Special Police.
One issue involves the allegations that the volunteers have exceeded their mandate in terms of searching and detaining people. LaPlante denied Gipson's claim that volunteers have conducted improper searches. "We don't search people, but we do perform quick pat-downs to make sure there's no weapons. That's only for our own safety," LaPlante said.
A spokesman for the commissioner would not elaborate on the alleged problems. "We will not get into specific instances," Michael J. DeGeorge said. "But it's fair to say we have concerns." Among them are the facts that volunteers wear uniforms that closely resemble police officers' uniforms. Gipson called the attire "deceptive."
In addition, the volunteer force has yet to provide an indemnification clause that would protect the city from any liability as result of actions by the Buffalo Special Police. Finally, the volunteer force claims peace officer status and offers classes to members they say will give them this status despite the fact that this type of certification can only be granted by the state. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        
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