Many community members say it’s time for the city to do what the people want. They say their community is past the time of asking for change, so they are demanding and expecting reform from Syracuse leaders. They say the city leaders are public servants who should put the public first. 

What You Need To Know

  • The People’s Agendas for Police Reform met with city leaders.
  • The group united many interests who have been protesting for years.
  • The meeting lasted four hours and included many emotional, personal stories.
  • City leaders say they will have a timeline for a timeline to address the concerns within two weeks.
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The People’s Agendas for Police Reform met with city leaders Thursday night. The group of about 20 people included leaders from a variety of groups who have been protesting for the last few weeks, and even years prior. They’ve been demanding change since before Mayor Ben Walsh took office, many said at the meeting. They have elevated their demands in the last year because the city has not moved quickly or decisively enough, speakers said.

“Actually, this has always been the problem,” said Yusuf Abdul-Qadir, the director of the CNY chapter of the NYCLU, who helped bring the groups together. “The collective consciousness has gone to the realization this can no longer be tolerated. What we’re saying is it has to change, urgently. We have to urgently be responding to this crisis. We have to urgently reassess the power and the resources we give to law enforcement.”

The group has eight main concerns including a new use of force policy for SPD, improved police accountability, and removing police and school resource officers from schools.  

The format was controlled by the public. They led the meeting which lasted four hours and hammered their demands. They came with posters of carefully crafted research to back up their personal experiences and demands. The people spent the time talking saying the city budget and priorities should reflect the public’s interests. They shared their experiences in the city in the context of police-community relations. 

“Hearing the pain people have experienced and I feel that pain,” said Walsh. “I want to help heal. I want to make sure others don’t have to go through that. Again, I think that’s where we’re very much aligned in what we want to achieve. We just have to work through some of the differences in how we get there.”

Walsh and other city leaders listened. Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens, Common Council President Helen Hudson, SPD Chief Kenton Buckner, Syracuse City School District Superintendent Jaime Alicea, and SCSD School Board President Katie Sojewicz all attended the meeting. They agreed to have a timeline for a timeline to address the demands within two weeks.