As a spate of violent crime dominates Buffalo headlines, the Police Benevolent Association’s Monday endorsement of Michael P. Kearns now thrusts the issue into the mayoral race.

Kearns, the South District Common Council member, received the backing of the police union during a brief event on the steps of City Hall. PBA President Robert P. Meegan Jr. said that though the union supported incumbent Mayor Byron W. Brown when he first ran in 2005, the failure of his members to gain wage hikes in several years and concern over crime influenced the Kearns endorsement.

“That was four years ago,” Meegan said of the PBA’s endorsement of Brown. “Times have changed; people have changed. And obviously Mayor Brown has changed.”

The police union has demonstrated a history of supporting newcomers for mayor and then changing its mind come re-election. The PBA backed former Mayor Anthony M. Masiello during his first run for mayor in 1993, only to abandon him in subsequent elections.

Meegan said the Brown administration’s failure to comply with Freedom of Information Law requests from the media and Kearns’ call for less politics and more reorganization in the Police Department helped lead to the decision.

“They can say all they want about crime being down, but it’s not down,” Meegan said, adding that the failure of police to gain any pay hikes for several years contributes to frustration.

Kearns, who is challenging Brown in the Sept. 15 Democratic primary, said he plans to add more police officers, which he said he would finance by seeking “efficiencies” in the current system.

“In order for our city to be successful, we need a successful Police Department. You will not have business in this city or have people moving in unless people feel safe,” he said.

Kearns’ comments drew rebukes from mayoral spokesman Peter K. Cutler, who pointed to a slew of statistics indicating the Police Department’s gains in fighting crime. He also said the PBA endorsement of Kearns comes as “no surprise” because the mayor did not seek it.

“The campaign made the decision months ago not to seek the endorsement of a union that has no contract with the city,” the said.

He said Brown has added 126 police officers to the force since taking office while planning for installation of 124 surveillance cameras in the city. While homicides are up this summer, Cutler said, he noted the general trend since Brown took office has been a reduction.