Bill Text: NY J00139 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Commending Captain Steve Nichols, upon the occasion of his retirement after 23 years of service to the Buffalo Police Department
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-01-20 - ADOPTED [J00139 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-J00139-Introduced.html
Senate Resolution No. 139
BY: Senator KENNEDY
COMMENDING Captain Steve Nichols, upon the
occasion of his retirement after 23 years of service
to the Buffalo Police Department
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
honor those distinguished officers who would devote themselves to public
service, demonstrating great courage and diligence in providing for the
care and welfare of the citizens of their communities and this great
Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Within every community of the State of New York there are
certain individuals who, by virtue of their commitment and dedication,
command the respect and admiration of their community for their
exemplary contributions and service on behalf of others; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Captain
Steve Nichols, upon the occasion of his retirement after 23 years of
service to the Buffalo Police Department; he officially retired from the
Department in December of 2020; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his career which spanned more than two decades,
Captain Steve Nichols truly epitomized the role of a community police
officer beginning with an ad for a chance to win an ice cream social;
thinking it would be fun for the young people in the Ferry-Fillmore
District (C-District), he partnered with the Crucial Center on Moselle
Street to host the party; and
WHEREAS, Captain Steve Nichols and the Crucial Center then held a
bicycle drive where they collected 100 bikes for the local kids; he went
on to hold several more drives and ultimately, donated thousands of
bikes to the youth of Buffalo; and
WHEREAS, Captain Steve Nichols also became involved with the city's
Weed and Seed crime-reduction initiative and began working with the
city's anti-violence groups the Back to Basics Ministry, the Stop the
Violence Coalition and Fathers; and
WHEREAS, In 2006, Captain Steve Nichols solidified his role as a
community police officer in an incident at the Annual Juneteenth
Festival in the gang violence prone Martin Luther King Jr. Park; then
Lieutenant Nichols had just driven to the park and approached Lenny
Lane, leader of the Fathers anti-violence group, when gunfire rang out;
and
WHEREAS, Lieutenant Steve Nichols observed two men shooting at each
other and immediately began chasing a third shooter who had run into a
crowd of people; after a short pursuit, he spotted the gunman resting
with his hands on his legs, trying to catch his breath; Lieutenant
Nichols observed a handgun on the ground and could have justifiably
opened fire but instead, he chose to tackle the young man and
subsequently, take him into custody safely; and
WHEREAS, From this moment on, Lieutenant Steve Nichols became known
as an officer who could be trusted; he was promoted to the rank of
Captain and become the heart and soul of the Buffalo Police Department's
community engagement efforts, and most recently, the department's
coordinator for an array of community policing programs; and
WHEREAS, As the 2007 Juneteenth Festival approached, Captain Steve
Nichols joined forces with several faith-based organizations to form the
Peacemakers who would patrol the park during the festivities; and
WHEREAS, The 50-strong volunteer group identified known
troublemakers and talked to them; if that did not work, the police would
come in and take the youths back to the police station where they would
have to sit down and talk with a clergy member, who then called their
parents to pick them up; and
WHEREAS, Due to the steadfast and unremitting commitment of Captain
Steve Nichols and his fellow Peacemakers, there were no fights during
the 2007 Festival and approximately 90 young people were safely taken
out of the park; since then, the festival has increased from 25,000
individuals to 65,000 in 2019; and
WHEREAS, Captain Steve Nichols eventually became the department's
coordinator for all community policing, from overseeing the five
districts' community police officers to heading the Neighborhood
Engagement Team to re-starting the department's Citizens Academy; and
WHEREAS, Always looking for better ways to serve the community,
Captain Steve Nichols diligently worked to bridge the gap with Buffalo's
new immigrant communities by providing cards for non-English speaking
people to carry that identify their language, which they can show to
police when they need help; and
WHEREAS, During the last couple months of his employment, Captain
Steve Nichols navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and
continued to work on various events such as the annual Shop with a Cop
and several turkey and gift giveaways; and
WHEREAS, Captain Steve Nichols will always be remembered for his
role in building a relationship between the Buffalo Police Department
and the city's varied communities; he loved his job and his fellow
Buffalonians and has left an enduring legacy for all of his fellow
officers to follow; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his tenure, Captain Steve Nichols truly served
the residents of the City of Buffalo with compassion, integrity, and
fairness, attributes which will forever serve as an example for his
fellow officers; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those
dedicated public servants who unselfishly devote their lives to the
preservation of order and the protection of others are worthy and due
full praise for their commitment and noble endeavors; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Captain Steve Nichols, upon the occasion of his retirement after
more than 23 years of service to the Buffalo Police Department, and to
wish him well in all his future endeavors; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Captain Steve Nichols.
