Lt. Darren Exum is the Vice President of the AAPA organization. AKA "X". Darren has always dreamed of being in law enforcement as a child. I attended South Park High School and Buffalo State College.

He is a former Correction Officer with the NYS Department of Corrections, where he worked 13 years at Wende Correctional Facility. While there he was the go-to "Hostage Negotiator"- because he had a way of bringing calm to a chaotic situation. After helping as many people as he could within the system, Darren felt that he needed to do more- so he transferred into the Buffalo Police Dept as a Police Officer.

After doing 16 years on our city streets and becoming a Hostage Negotiator with the Buffalo Police, Darren was promoted to a supervisor Lieutenant position within the past nine years and now has 24 years with the Buffalo Police Dept, giving him a total of approximately 37 years of service in law enforcement... and he is still counting.

Darren Exum is also the Vice President of the Afro American Police Association (AAPA). This organization fights for equality for minorities looking for employment within the police dept, and fair promotions for those within. The organization stays connected to their community by donating college scholarships, along with having Thanksgiving/Christmas food and money donations to needy families. Darren has been the president of AAPA for four years and was a trustee for four years prior. There are well over 100 members within the AAPA organization.

Darren has a way of bringing peace and calm to any situation, so his dept allowed him to become a peer counselor with the WNY Police Helpline- where he helps officers, dispatchers, and their families during times of distress. Because Lt. Exum’s hard work, the helpline decided to make Darren a member of the Police Helpline Committee.

Lt. Darren has been a street Captain on his Judge Row Block Club for the past 4 years, and a prior Boy Scout leader at the Edison Charter School. Mr. Exum is in the process of starting his own mentoring program for our youth and young teenagers’ males. As a way of the police dept recognizing Darren’s actions within the community and on the job in 2014 and 2015. Lt. Darren Exum received The Commissioners Metal of Commendation Award. In closing Mr. Darren Exum started doing something that made him and his recipients incredibly happy. Darren created "XMANS BLESSINGS"- where he donated bicycles to less fortunate children for 12 years now. After reluctantly doing a news story for the Buffalo News (because he did not want the attention) ... Bikes started being donated from all over the city. Now that has placed smiles on a children’s faces.

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