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Public commenters urge Syracuse CRB to improve transparency, training and address lead, immigrant concerns
Summary
Public commenters and council representatives at the Syracuse Citizens Review Board meeting urged improved transparency, training for board members on police encounters and use-of-force issues, and action on lead contamination and immigrant safety concerns.
Residents, a long-time CRB adviser and city councilors used the board’s public comment period to press for faster transparency, training on police encounter analysis and outreach on public-health concerns including lead in tap water.
Barry DeWanter, a former member of a legislative advisory committee and a frequent CRB resource, told the board the CRB has produced "periods of effectiveness" but has also been dormant at times. "The website does need to be updated, Don, thank you," DeWanter said, urging quicker public access to information. He offered training help on use-of-force analysis, complaint intake and interviewing complainants.
"Please do not institute a prayer and especially not a sectarian prayer," DeWanter said, noting the board should avoid sectarian invocations at government meetings because such practices can "push people away." He also urged members to attend meetings to preserve quorum.
First District Councilor Marty Nave and another council representative said the City Council has worked on continuity and appointments; Nave urged the CRB to take complaints from immigrant and new-American communities seriously, saying members should protect civil rights irrespective of immigration status.
Residents raised public-health concerns. Naija Brown, a Syracuse resident and therapist, said high lead levels in the city's water were a pressing concern and noted many working-class families cannot afford filtration systems. "This is gonna be something that is detrimental to these children," Brown said, connecting lead exposure to mental-health and behavioral-health needs.
Why it matters: Public comment highlighted both operational deficiencies—website, staffing and quorum—and substantive community concerns that intersect with the CRB’s oversight remit, including training to evaluate police encounters and attention to vulnerable populations.
The board moved into executive session after public comment to address personnel- and complaint-specific matters.
