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The Syracuse Police Department has distributed 220 body-worn cameras to all of its uniformed officers, SPD Chief Kenton Buckner said during a press conference Friday. 

The 220 selected officers are those that SPD identified as having an essential need for the cameras based on their role, Buckner said. Officers in divisions such as investigation, undercover or other plain-clothed roles will not have cameras unless they’re working in a situation where they need a police uniform, Buckner said. 

SPD has more than 425 officers, according to the department’s website.

“Our community was very loud and clear about some of the things they were disappointed about,” Buckner said. “We’ve shown that we’ve listened to that and we’re incrementally working on those things.”

The announcement comes as both the city of Syracuse and the rest of Onondaga County have begun police reform efforts. Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order in June that created an extensive reform agenda for agencies throughout the state. 

The Onondaga County Police Reform and Reinventitive Collaboration held its first public forum Thursday night, inviting community members to make suggestions for police reform to county lawmakers. The first forum dealing specifically with the South and West neighborhoods of Syracuse will take place on Tuesday. 

SPD is also in the first stage of rolling out the Right to Know legislation, which includes additional training for officers and updated guidelines for their interactions with the public. The reforms are intended to improve police and community relationships following nationwide protests against police brutality, Buckner said. 

“George Floyd was the match for what happened during the protest,” he said. “The gas is the preexisting relationships or lack thereof.” 

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh also made announcements at the briefing regarding COVID-19 and neighborhood development near Interstate I-81.

The city has appealed to Cuomo to change COVID-19 restrictions in Onondaga County that have disproportionately hurt small businesses, Walsh said. 

While the majority of Syracuse is within a designated Orange Zone, the rest of Onondaga County is in a Yellow Zone, with less restrictions on indoor gathering sizes and restaurant capacity. 

“The system is inherently unfair,” Walsh said. “We have situations where a restaurant on one end of a block is shuttered because it’s in an Orange Zone and a restaurant at the other end is able to accommodate indoor dining.” 

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MORE COVERAGE:

• New Police Chief Kenton Buckner earned reputation as a progressive leader
  
• Residents call for sensitivity, accountability at police reform forum
  
• Here’s what the Right to Know Act means and how the community has responded
  

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Walsh’s letter to the state only asks that restrictions be fairly distributed across the county, not necessarily lifted, he said. But including all of Onondaga County in a Yellow Zone seems to be the right approach based on data, Walsh said. 

“Ultimately if it’s done fairly, that’s okay,” he said. 

Small businesses may apply for grants of up to $10,000 for COVID-19 resources, including protective equipment and air purifiers for ventilation, from the Syracuse Economic Development Corporation, Walsh said. The deadline for applications for these grants is Monday.

The city, in partnership with nonprofit organization Blueprint 15, has received a $1 million grant from a state partnership to help prevent evictions and displacement in the East Adams neighborhood, Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens announced at the briefing. 

The grant will be used for eviction prevention, engagement with community stakeholders and capacity for building affordable housing, Owens said. 

Published on January 8, 2021 at 5:20 pm

Contact Sarah: [email protected] | @sarahalessan