Who is Erika Shields, Sean Ryan’s pick for Police Commissioner?
After learning that Sean Ryan has selected Erika Shields as our new Police Commissioner in April, we did a deep dive so you don’t have to before the Common Council’s final vote.
WORK HISTORY PRIOR TO BUFFALO:
2016 - 2020: Atlanta’s Police Chief
NAACP called for Erika Shields to be fired after the murder of Rayshard Brooks
due to Shield’s inaction in the case
Shields resigned, allegedly because she did not want to fire the officers involved.
During her time in Atlanta, she called for more cops in schools despite community organizing against the initiative.
Shields and ATL police were visited by Israeli police in 2019 as part of Georgia’s International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE) program.
2021 - 2023: Louisvill’s Police Chief
Relationship to Louisville’s Black community:
Black church leaders and KY NAACP leaders reported that they did not see evidence of Shield reaching out to the Black community, did not improve distrust of police
Did not make any changes to combat the disproportionate rate of Black drivers pulled over by police
Did not abide by one of the reforms from Breonna Taylor’s family which was requiring that all officers do two paid hours of community service a week
Domestic violence increased by 60% in 2022 after she made cuts to the unit
Lack of accountability
Shields has a history of turning down interviews with local news outlets, opts for statements from public relations team instead
Did not formally discipline an officer who was caught punching a man during a protest
Did not formally discipline an officer who has caught on video at an anti-abortion protest in uniform
Stated that a female officer would not be getting harassed if she was “fattier and ugly”; she also publicly lashed out on this officer during meetings
2023 - ?: Chief Commercial Officer at InVeris
In 2023, Erika Shields took a position on the Executive leadership team at InVeris* inc. as Chief Commercial Officer.
*Inveris is a weapons training firm for military and law enforcement both nationally and globally.
WHAT SEAN RYAN HAS TO SAY
"Commissioner Shields was brought into Louisville based on her experiences handling controversies at a time where Louisville was just really unstable from recent police-involved shootings there. So that experience we viewed as a plus."
- Mayor Sean Ryan, Buffalo Toronto Pubic Media
https://www.btpm.org/local/2026-04-06/ryan-tabs-erika-shields-as-new-buffalo-police-commissioner
"I am confident that Erika Shields has values and experience that matches what we are looking for in the Buffalo Police Department."
- Mayor Sean Ryan, Buffalo News
“We looked at everything from both departments, the major controversies of the day, and we thought she handled the major controversies of the day quite well in both departments.”
- Mayor Sean Ryan, WKBW, when asked about Shields’ past controversies
WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY
"I am looking into some of the previous concerns and statements from the Atlanta NAACP and I would like to address them with Shields at a future date."
- Rev. Mark Blue, Buffalo Branch NAACP
“The citizens of Louisville have asked for accountability and transparency…we haven’t gotten it from them.”
- Khalilah Collins, social worker and community organizer, Louisville, KY, on Shields being appointed Police Chief
“Both Shields and the department are disconnected from the communities they serve and a long way from establishing trust.
- Jeremy Johnson, owner of Meta, a downtown Louisville bar
WHAT SHIELDS HERSELF HAS TO SAY
"I was, yes, I was, I was not considered for the chief's job under Mayor-elect Greenberg," Shields said. "So I chose to resign, I guess, in lieu of being terminated."
- Erika Shields, WLKY
“You have to afford a police department autonomy and that is the most dangerous part of the political spectrum. [...] I think whoever comes in needs to be strong and they need to stay removed out of whatever's asked of them and do the correct thing," Shields said. "[t]hat often means butting heads with others who are, it may mean, in the administration."
- Erika Shields, WLKY
WHAT BUFFALO COMMON COUNCIL HAS TO SAY
“As a council member, I have to do my due diligence, and I made my phone calls, and I had conversations with people on the ground that you worked at, and no, I didn’t like what I heard.”
-Council member Zeneta Everhart to Erika Shields, Common Council Civil Service Committee Meeting
“I too have done my research. That’s what we do here. I have received numerous calls…from places who do not have a favorable outcome of you.”
-Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope, Common Council Civil Service Committee Meeting
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXhS7vEl-oI/
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXhSgMtANqh/
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BUFFALO?
“Shields comes into the department at a time when historically low violent crime numbers have continued to fall.
But she will face significant challenges, as the city enters negotiations with the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association, whose contract expired last summer. And Buffalo, like departments across the country, is having trouble recruiting officers.”
-The Buffalo News
With Buffalo seeing rising police misconduct, increased ICE raids, the attempted development of a Cop City, and the murder of Nurul Amin by Border Patrol...
Is Shields’ legacy really what we want to see from an incoming Police Commissioner?
