Kelly discusses police contract on WBFO

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In July, Buffalo’s police union won a big victory in its three-year-old (and counting) negotiations with Mayor Byron Brown’s administration for a new contract.

A state arbitration panel granted police — whose contract expired in 2019 — raises and back pay worth as much as $15 million. The city got nothing in return: none of the reforms protestors and elected officials clamored for in the summer of 2020, no new managerial rights, not even a reinstatement of a residency requirement that expired with the old contract.

Geoff Kelly reported the story two weeks ago, before the Brown administration had even informed the Common Council of the award. The Council voted to approve the back pay last week.

Kelly spoke with Dave Debo on WBFO’s “Buffalo, What’s Next?” about the city’s police contract, particularly as it relates to police reform, and what lay ahead in the negotiations.

Listen to their conversation here:

Geoff Kelly