BUFFALO, N.Y. — Questions are being raised about how police staffing might impact safety after violence in cities across upstate New York over the Fourth of July weekend.

A Police Executive Research Forum report found while staff numbers have bounced back to 2022 numbers, they’re still below 2020 numbers, but officials in Buffalo say staffing didn’t play a role in the violence.

Both the police commissioner and the mayor are pointing the blame at one specific street party promoter they say has caused problems in the past, though the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association pushed back on that.

Cities across the nation are dealing with police numbers that aren’t what they used to be, and that can play a role.

“It’s not such a one-off wild event like the Fourth of July was. But day to day […] they’re in the building, they may be doing their job, but, you know, I don’t know how much is too much,” said Buffalo PBA President John Davidson.

Policing can be a stressful and life-threatening job. Doing it with fewer resources can turn things up to the next level.

“You’re getting tired officers. You’re getting overworked officers,” Davidson said. “You need some new blood.”

With violence breaking out in multiple cities over the weekend, officials admit it’s a balancing act.

“Do you just have every police agency, every resource out there, and then you’re over-policing?” asked Buffalo Police Commissioner Erika Shields. “We don’t want to create a police state.”

Whether staffing is a problem is a point of contention.

“I reject the premise that there’s short staffing. We have no problems filling each and every one of our shifts. We had way more officers on duty this year than we did the year before,” said Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan.

“I don’t know if you needed more police or more well-rested police or police that have a better work-life balance,” replied Davidson. “But clearly, when 12 people are shot in a single night in a city, something needs to be fixed.”

The Buffalo PBA says they’re down about 100 officers.

It’s similar across the state.

Albany has 46 vacancies, Syracuse has 64 vacancies and Rochester has 115 vacancies.

“It’s a lot of balancing officers, making judgment calls every day about what to respond to, working with dispatch,” said Justin Collins, a sergeant with Rochester Police.

For RPD, it’s about making sure people feel valued both emotionally and fiscally and connecting with the community and youth to have a pipeline to the badge.

“Anyone who would lay their life on the line in 2026 for a complete stranger is a leader and someone who is called to service in this community,” said Collins.

The Police Executive Research Forum report shows that nationwide, hirings are up since 2020, but retirements are also going up. There was a 16.4% increase in 2025 when compared to 2024.

This, like so many other industries, is learning to do more with less.

“Last year, we only put nine officers on the department, but we lost 47,” said Davidson. “This year we’ve lost 14 and counting. We’ve only hired four. There’s no plans to hire another officer this year.”

Finding a solution to all of this could take time.

“Do you want to have a career that you can truly make a life-changing impact on someone’s life at a moment’s notice, like those officers did July 4?” asked Collins. “You cannot put a price tag on service like that. You just cannot.”

There have been changes to how police departments recruit, including signing bonuses, changes in residency requirements and more. That does change city to city.