Syracuse police chief warns staffing shortfall, highlights crime drops and overtime pressures during budget hearing

Syracuse City police leaders told the City Common Council on Wednesday that the department remains below its authorized staffing level and is managing rising retirement and overtime costs even as several crime categories fell from last year.

The police chief said the department is budgeted for 419 total positions but has 388 current employees; 17 recruits are still in the academy and eight recent graduates are in field training, leaving roughly 363 officers actually on patrol — a shortfall of 56 from the funded strength. "We're playing with house money this year because I'm leaving at the end of the year," the police chief said, adding the department swore in its 11th academy under Mayor Walsh and is exploring a 12th academy before the end of 2025.

Council members pressed the chief and deputies on several budget lines, including overtime, contractual sick-time buybacks and retirement contributions. The department requested $6.5 million for overtime in the budget book; officials said last year’s overtime spending approached $9.7 million and that, after expected reimbursements for work on behalf of outside agencies, the city share could be closer to $4.9 million. Deputy chiefs and the chief said the department is actively managing overtime and cited the switch to 10-hour patrol days as a significant cost-reduction measure.…