Department of Public Safety

988 NATIONAL SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE

On Saturday, July 16, 2022, a new 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was implemented across the United States. This is a FREE service available to everyone.

Anyone who is experiencing mental health distress – including thoughts of suicide, a substance-use crisis or emotional distress – can connect with a trained crisis counselor simply by calling or texting 988. Interpretation services are available in over 150 languages.*

IF YOU NEED HELP WITH A MENTAL HEALTH MATTER, CALL OR TEXT 988 IMMEDIATELY.

* Source: NYS Office of Mental Health website.

City of Lackawanna Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Plan

In response to New York State Executive Order No. 203, the City of Lackawanna has developed a Police Reform and Collaborative Plan. The deadline for submitting this plan to NYS is April 1, 2021.

A copy of the plan is available for public review on the City of Lackawanna website at http://lackawannany.gov/…/LACKAWANNA-POLICE-REFORM-DOCUMENT…

Any questions or comments can be directed to Lackawanna Public Safety Director John Wolf by email at publicsafety@lackny.com or phone at 716-827-6418.

As part of the “New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative”, you are invited to participate in the attached survey. Your input is greatly appreciated as we create new strategies and methods to improve service for all citizens.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM LACKAWANNA DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY JOHN WOLF REGARDING THE RANDOM ACT OF VIOLENCE INVOLVING CITY EMPLOYEE RJ BEVILACQUA

On Saturday, August 1, 2020, the Buffalo News featured a front page story regarding an unfortunate random act of violence involving Lackawanna Department of Public Works employee RJ Bevilacqua, which occurred in the 1500 block of Abbott Road near West Elmview the morning of June 1, 2020.

We’re deeply saddened and concerned by this event and all in the City of Lackawanna are fully supportive of Mr. Bevilacqua and his family during this difficult time. That said, several statements in the Buffalo News article were inaccurately portrayed based on information Mr. Bevilacqua provided, which I want to clarify here:

• LACKAWANNA POLICE & CITY OFFICIALS DID NOT HIDE AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION FROM THE PUBLIC

Lackawanna Police Officers responding to the 911 call determined from canvassing nearby buildings and properties that Mr. Bevilacqua was the victim of a random act of violence involving a pellet gun, not an active shooter with a .22 caliber weapon as Mr. Bevilacqua claimed upon admission to ECMC and in the article.

This canvass activity included an immediate and thorough search of the building Mr. Bevilacqua indicated to our officers as the one where he believed he saw the alleged shooter close a window. No persons, weapons or shell casings of any nature were found at that location. In addition, witnesses interviewed at the scene did not hear gunfire and no persons, weapons or shell casings of any nature were found in the other canvassed buildings or near/on the DPW sanitation vehicle Mr. Bevilacqua was working on that day.

If this was determined to be an active shooter situation, our tactical response – including closing off the area and notifying the public through a variety of channels – would have been immediate. While we take single, random acts of violence very seriously, they occur more frequently and typically our investigation of such crimes is not publicized unless necessary.

• MR. BEVILACQUA’S CLAIM OF BEING SHOT WITH A .22 CALIBER WEAPON IS INCONSISTENT WITH A STATEMENT AND INFORMATION HE PROVIDED TO A LACKAWANNA POLICE DETECTIVE.

Upon being interviewed at ECMC, Mr. Bevilacqua stated to our detective that he was hit with a .177 pellet. Lackawanna Police are also in possession of an X-ray Mr. Bevilacqua provided which shows the fragment lodged in his lower back to be consistent with a pellet and not a .22 caliber bullet.

Again, the notion that Mr. Bevilacqua was hit by a .22 caliber bullet as stated in the article is based on his self-reported condition upon admission to ECMC and not validated by any physical or other evidence.

• MR. BEVILACQUA’S EMPLOYMENT WITH THE CITY OF LACKAWANNA WAS NOT THREATENED BY ANYONE.

The article further states Mr. Bevilacqua was recently included in a multi-party phone call involving Mayor Annette Iafallo, Council President Frederic Marrano and DPW Commissioner Anthony DeSantis. While it’s true this call occurred, in no way was Mr. Bevilacqua’s employment with the City threatened.

The call to Mr. Bevliacqua resulted after Mayor Iafallo and others received word that Mr. Bevilacqua had gone to the Buffalo News, with the intent of confirming what they were told. This situation was disappointing as the current City administration went out of their way to aid Mr. Bevilacqua, including providing him with a job when he was having difficulty finding employment.

As this single, random act of violence perpetrated against Mr. Bevilacqua with a pellet gun is both an ongoing police and personnel matter, we will have no further comment until such time as the perpetrator is apprehended.

If anyone has any information about this crime, please contact the Lackawanna Police at 716-822-4900.

Disaster Coordination and the use of CodeRed

The Director of Public Safety is also the disaster coordinator for the city.  For more information on what you can do to better prepare for disasters please go to https://www.ready.gov/

The Director of Public Safety urges residents and businesses to sign up for CodeRed, an emergency notification system that allows emergency officials to notify residents and businesses by telephone, cell phone, text message, email and social media regarding time-sensitive general and emergency notifications.  Please click here to sign-up.

Also, can you change the CodeRed website to the following?

CODE RED EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

Sign up to be notified of emergencies in Lackawanna by clicking the picture below to sign up for the City of Lackawanna – Public Notification System.

CodeRED is an emergency notification service that allows emergency officials to notify residents and businesses by telephone, cell phone, text message, email and social media regarding time-sensitive general and emergency notifications.  Only authorized officials within the City of Lackawanna have access to the CodeRED system.

Any message regarding the safety, property or welfare of the community will be disseminated using the CodeRED system.  These may include AMBER alerts, notifications of hazardous traffic or road conditions, boil water advisories, evacuation notices or general community information.

To see a video of how the system works, click here https://vimeo.com

Have a Smartphone?

Make sure to download the CodeRED Mobile Alert app to receive free emergency notifications directly to your smartphone.  In addition, as you travel through other communities that use CodeRED you will receive the active notifications for your current location.  Click on the CodeRED logo or look for the image in the App Store or on Google Play.

You will recognize the CodeRED call when your caller ID displays the following numbers. Please be sure to add these telephone numbers into your telephone’s contacts, when applicable.

866-419-5000 or Emergency Alert for Emergency Notifications
855-969-4636 or Community Alert for General Notifications

If you would like to hear the last message delivered to your phone, simply dial the number back.

The CodeRED system will leave the message on an answering machine. If the line is busy, it will try two more times to connect.

There are some circumstances that might prevent a message from being delivered:

  • Your contact information has changed and you have not registered your new information.
  • You only have a cordless phone and your power is out.
  • Your line is busy for an extended period and your calls do not forward to voice mail.
  • You have a privacy manager on your main phone and you did not register an alternate number.

Privacy Notice: Only authorized officials have access to the CodeRED system. The company will not sell, trade, lease or loan any citizen-supplied information to third parties.