UB Police chosen for national video recognition

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo Police Department is one of 15 police agencies in the country chosen for a video tribute by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

The six-minute video, produced by the international police association, debuted at the police chiefs’ annual conference in Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., this weekend.

“This is a big deal for us,” says Joshua B. Sticht, deputy chief of police for UB Police. “They chose to focus on two programs, preventing school violence and youth crime prevention. So we fit in on both of those.”

Sticht said the national association of chiefs also was impressed by UB’s crisis intervention team, and focused on this priority within the UB department.

“We received an email in mid-summer from the association that we had been picked for one of the videos,” says Sticht. “Once we got the letter, we weren’t going to say no.”

The six-minute video features appearances by UB Police Chief Gerald Schoenle; James Ingram, president of the Undergraduate Student Association; and Dennis Black, vice president for university life and services.

“The mission of the University at Buffalo Police Department is to provide a safe, friendly, welcoming environment for visitors, faculty and staff and students,” says Schoenle in the video.  “Everything we do centers around that.”

Schoenle’s administration is known for emphasizing professional conduct and, in particular, going through the demanding and meticulous routine of national and international law enforcement accreditation.

“We’re fortunate in that we were the first university police department in New York State to be state accredited,” Schoenle says. “Last year, in fact, we became re-accredited through the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.

“This year we’re going through the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators accreditation process. That is the gold standard for university police departments, and we’re really thrilled to go through that process.”

The national video also focused on special events at UB, including visits of the Dalai Lama and President Obama, as well as police training for a worst-case scenario that could occur on campus.

Sticht says the film crew hired by the chiefs’ organization filmed at UB on Sept. 16.

“We were lucky: The weather was beautiful,” says Sticht. “UB looks like a fantastic place.”

Watch the full video.