Council members pressed the Buffalo Police Commissioner at a council committee meeting about the department’s delay in notifying elected officials and the public after a June 17 shooting outside the Tops supermarket in the Ellicott District.

The exchange began after council members asked why they and residents learned of the incident days later, and whether the department’s communication practices would change for “sensitive locations” such as Tops, which the speakers tied directly to the 05/14 massacre and ongoing community sensitivity.

Council members said social media filled the information gap and increased public outrage; several called for faster, more proactive briefings so councilors can inform constituents. A majority leader asked the commissioner for a commitment that, when incidents involve weapons or threats in locations that carry historic trauma for residents, police will notify affected council members and release as much information as possible without jeopardizing an investigation.

The police commissioner described how his office received calls, was informed by chiefs about arrests, and then opened inquiries and coordinated with the district attorney’s office. He said investigators quickly arrested two men after an argument outside Tops and that detectives were checking whether the incident related to the May 14 attack. He told the committee, "If I thought it had anything to do with that 5/14 ... everyone would have been notified," and apologized for the communication breakdown.

Council members pressed for clearer notification protocols and asked whether the department can recommend security steps (for example, signage or additional private security) to store owners at Tops and other grocery locations; the commissioner said police can make such recommendations.

Assistant Corporation Counsel Lisa Yeager reminded the committee that police and the law office may be limited in what they can say during ongoing investigations; she urged care about hypotheticals that could affect active cases.

The committee opened discussion on the letter to the commissioner regarding the June 17 incident and then voted to table the item for further review. Council members requested follow-up materials, including the department’s notification practice and any communications already made to affected residents or district offices.

The council left the item tabled and asked police leadership to provide a clearer protocol for when and how council and the public are told about incidents at sensitive locations.