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UPDATED: March 2, 2021 at 5:52 p.m.

Syracuse’s Common Council delayed a vote on a draft of the Syracuse Police Reform and Reinvention Plan at its meeting Monday.

The plan outlines the Syracuse Police Department’s efforts to enact reform in hiring, policy, community relations and other areas. The council considered 47 resolutions total Monday, more than normal due to a three-week break in meetings.

The council approved an SPD cadet program in partnership with CNYWorks. The cadet program will provide employment and training to high school graduates before they can take the police officer civil service exam at 20 years old. CNYWorks will provide a $150,000 grant for the program, which is also outlined in the reform and reinvention plan.

Approving the reform and reinvention plan is required as part of an executive order from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, which mandates that every municipality in New York state submit a policing plan to the state government by April 1.

The council held a public hearing on Feb. 18 to receive comment on the plan, which has received criticism from activists for not introducing enough new ideas. SPD Chief Kenton Buckner said he welcomes the feedback.

“It’s always a good thing when the community has a say in significant activities that are going on in the city,” he said. “To be able to hear from them directly on the plans which have included them as we develop this draft, that’s always important.”

Once the plan is approved, it must be signed by Mayor Ben Walsh before being submitted to the New York Division of the Budget.

Other business

The council also delayed voting on an initiative that would lease property at the Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse, at 235 Harrison St., to CenterState CEO to house startup businesses. The $1 per year lease would be 15-years-long, with renewal options every three years. CenterState promotes entrepreneurship and business innovation in central and northern New York and has a history of developing business spaces in the city.

The council approved funding for summer job programs for young people in partnership with Cities for Financial Empowerment and the Onondaga Earth Corps. The CFE program, which costs $100,000, will provide financial education and experience with financial institutions. CFE furthers financial independence by increasing municipal engagement to improve the financial stability of low and moderate income households, according to its website.

The OEC program, which costs $13,000, will run the “Park Corp” and “Clean Streets Crew” programs, which is part of the city youth employment and service program. Students will be hired to clean and maintain city streets and parks, and the program will provide income to young people during the summer.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post stated that the Common Council approved the reform and reinvention plan. The council delayed a vote on it. Also, the council did not approve leasing property at the Tech Garden to CenterState CEO; it delayed voting on it. The Daily Orange regrets these errors.

Published on March 1, 2021 at 10:39 pm

Contact Nick: nickrobertson@dailyorange.com | @NickRobertsonSU