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The Syracuse Police Department updated its body camera policy to require that officers record the entirety of their presence while reporting to a scene, the city of Syracuse announced in a quarterly update on police reform.

The change in the policy comes after Mayor Ben Walsh issued an executive order in June 2020 calling for SPD to revise its worn body camera policy to ensure officers record the entirety of their presence during police encounters. 

Last summer, 14 Syracuse activist groups issued demands to the Syracuse Common Council and the office of Mayor Walsh, including requiring body cameras be turned on at the beginning of officers’ shifts and have all footage be publicly available under open-records law. 

SPD released a draft of the changes in October last year after gathering input from Syracuse community members and taking into consideration a police reform framework Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued in August 2020. 

In January, SPD Chief Kenton Buckner announced that the department distributed 220 body-worn cameras to all of its uniformed officers who were identified as having an essential need for wearing the cameras. Officers in divisions such as investigation, undercover or other plain-clothed roles do not have cameras unless they’re in a situation where they need a police uniform.

The department said it is also making progress on actions outlined in the Syracuse Police Reform Plan, a list of recommendations that the common council unanimously passed for changes to SPD’s response to calls, hiring process and community outreach, among other topics. 

The department certified 15 police officers with less than five years of service on crisis intervention training in April, according to a press release. This follows SPD’s goal to increase CIT certification to 20% of officers.

SPD will implement the use of the Voiance app, a service that interprets a variety of languages, including American Sign Language. The department aims to use this to improve methods of communication with Syracuse residents of various backgrounds, according to the press release.

The department is also planning the creation of a youth advisory board to the chief of police, as well as a community interview panel for the process of hiring police candidates.

Published on July 30, 2021 at 4:43 pm

Contact Richard: rjchang@syr.edu | @RichardJChang1