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The Buffalo Police Department's first black patrolman was George C. Sarnet, 31 years old when appointed
from a civil service list, on March 15, 1918. Patrolman Sarnet was
assigned patrol duty at Precinct 4, located at the
time at 161 Sycamore Street, where he work his entire19 years on the
department until his death, caused by
pneumonia, at the age of 49 on February 9, 1937.
The second black patrolman appointed, a year later, was 22 year old
Oliver M. Bragg, also appointed from a civil
service list, on July 18, 1919. Initially assigned to Precinct 4. Patrolman
Bragg was promoted to Detective on
January 31, 1946 and assigned to the detective bureau. Detective Bragg
retired on January 1, 1962 with 43 year of
service as a member of the Buffalo Police Department, he passed away
at the age of 76 on June 5, 1974.
The Buffalo Police Department had only one active black member on the
force from 1937 until1943 when, then
Mayor of the City of Buffalo, Joseph J. Kelly called in members of
the Civil Service Commission, and, then Buffalo
Police Commissioner Charles E. Cannan, in to his office and insisted
that Negroes be certified for service in the
Buffalo Police Department. As a result of that meeting, 14 black temporary
and special patrolmen and one
policewoman were appointed to the department.
Most temporary patrolman appointed around 1942 had short careers and
were dropped from the rolls, as Buffalo
policemen that had been on leave of absence from the department to
joined the armed forces to fight in WWII
returned to their police positions. Most of the 14 black patrolmen
were affected
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