Police Reform & Reinvention Plan Oversight Committee to Provide Report

Published on May 20, 2022

The eight-person Syracuse Police Reform and Reinvention Plan Oversight Committee will provide a virtual Report to the Community on Monday, May 23 at 5:30 p.m. Residents will be able to watch via the City’s YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/cityofsyracuse. The Report is intended to ensure public transparency and accountability in the ongoing implementation of the Syracuse Police Reform and Reinvention Plan.  The Plan, developed in response to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 203, was approved by the Syracuse Common Council and submitted to the State in late March 2021.

During the development of the Syracuse Police Reform & Reinvention Plan, community members suggested that the City’s implementation of policy changes and reforms needed oversight. Mayor Ben Walsh appointed Deputy Mayor Owens to establish and convene a Police Reform & Reinvention Plan Oversight Committee. The Oversight Committee’s responsibilities include: reviewing progress on all the actions identified in the plan, making recommendations to address gaps in service, and ensuring transparency. The 79-page Syracuse Police Reform and Reinvention Plan listed 33 actions the City would implement to improve policing and police-community relations. Those actions span across six categories:

  • Transparency and Accountability
  • Community Engagement
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Training and Wellness
  • Diversity in Hiring and Advancement
  • Alternatives to Policing

Now, approximately one year after the Plan was adopted by the Syracuse Common Council, the Oversight Committee will walk residents through the Reporting Progress website, which is a reporting tool that outlines the progress of the 33-actions promised by the City, and answer pre-submitted questions from the public.

The Syracuse Police Reform and Reinvention Plan Oversight Committee is comprised of:

  • Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens, Committee Chair
  • Chol Majok, Syracuse Common Council Public Safety Chair
  • Ranette Releford, Citizen Review Board Administrator
  • David Chaplin, Mayoral Appointee
  • Barrie Gewanter, Syracuse Common Council Appointee
  • Susan Katzoff, Syracuse Corporation Counsel (who was preceded by Kristen Smith, previous Corporation Counsel)
  • Sgt. Mark Rusin, Syracuse Police Department
  • Cimone Jordan, Neighborhood and Business Development Planner

The Plan also builds upon prior public engagement on policing in the City of Syracuse; Mayor Walsh’s 16-Action Executive Order on Syracuse Police Reform and other actions requested by the Syracuse Common Council on police accountability and improving police-community relations.