Trini Ross became the United States attorney for the Western District of New York in October. Her Buffalo office is just blocks away from where she attended high school.

“I was born in Buffalo. I was raised in Buffalo,” Ross said. “I lived most of my adult life in Buffalo and the opportunity to come back to serve the community that brought me to this point is very special.”

Ross is no stranger to the office, having spent more than 23 years here as a prosecutor. She’s now in charge of handling federal criminal and civil cases in the 17 counties of Western New York.

“I think it gives me a lot of benefit of knowing what some of the needs are,” Ross said. “But more importantly things change and the needs change. We need to connect with the community and find out what their needs are.”

From that inside perspective, she’s seen systemic issues she plans to address, including the over-criminalization of Black and brown people and those living in poverty.

“Sometimes those voices aren’t hear,” she said. “Sometimes those voices are neglected. Sometimes we don’t take the time to ask those people what their needs are.”

Public safety is a top priority with a focus on reducing violent crimes, especially shootings.

“Bullets don’t have a name on them,” she said. “You shoot for someone, you hit someone else, that innocent person has been hurt, if not murdered.”

Ross knows well the violence that spiked in places like Buffalo and Rochester in 2021. She does not plan to continue the VIPER Task Force organized by her predecessor. She does want to take the positives from the program that targeted violent criminals and getting guns off the streets.

“Know that we’re here and we want to help the community so if people know of bad actors or guns, drugs, whatever it is to come forward. And I know that’s really hard. I don’t say that lightly,” she said.

She also takes seriously the history she’s made as the first African American woman to serve as the U.S. attorney for the Western District.

“My shoulders are carrying all those who come behind me and I hope there are many, and I’m very grateful to the shoulders I stand on of all the African American women who succeeding in society before me,” she said.