Local residents were able to voice concerns about Syracuse Police Department policy during a forum hosted Wednesday evening as part of the city’s search for a new police chief.

Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens facilitated the public forum on Wednesday at the Eastside Family Resource Center. About 20 people attended the event.

As Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler plans for his retirement at the end of the year, the search for a replacement is underway. Eight public forums have been scheduled to gauge what residents want to see in a new police chief, in terms of qualifications and characteristics. The forum on Wednesday was the fourth of the eight events.

The conversation often shifted from what citizens want in a police chief to critiques of the Syracuse Police Department. Owens often asked people how their comments related to hiring a new chief.

Andy Mager of Syracuse said it would be great if citizens felt like they had a relationship with the police.

Michael Smith, secretary of the Stewards of Justice and Peace committee at All Saints Church, said the city should hire someone who is non-traditional for the role of police chief. He gave the example of a gay, black woman.

Syracuse’s Police Benevolent Association President Jeff Piedmonte, who’s been on the force for 32 years, defended SPD during the event. He said that the purpose of the police department is to protect the city and control dangerous situations. Most police officers follow proper procedure, he added. The force has about 402 officers, with five officers retiring by May, Piedmonte said.

Syracuse’s Constituent Service Advocate Maria Lewis helped organize and run the event. She said that forums such as these help, with citizens helping promote accountability while searching for a new police chief.

Throughout the facilitated conversation, several attendees said they were distrustful and even fearful of police officers. Many said the weapons police use and their methods of communication are inappropriate for most circumstances, and often based on racial biases. Piedmonte added that SPD hasn’t done “a good job” hiring minorities, but that more minorities should go through training to try to become officers.

“Having very uncomfortable conversations like this one need to happen,” Owens said.

Syracuse resident Melissa Hidek said it would be beneficial if the department provided more education on what SPD does and the procedures it’s required to follow.

R. Deborah Davis, a Syracuse resident, said that years ago, kids used to want to grow up and be police officers. Today, she said her great grandchildren are afraid of police officers because of reports of police brutality on television.

When the conversation turned to police brutality or what residents said were faults of SPD, Owens would ask people speaking to try to translate the statements into suggestions for the police chief search.

A few suggestions were often made by several residents: experience in urban policing, sensitivity to diversity and a high capacity for respectful communication.

Published on April 11, 2018 at 11:28 pm

Contact Catherine: ccleffer@syr.edu | @ccleffert