The Syracuse Common Council voted 5-4 to make changes to the Citizen Review Board — the independent watchdog of the city police department.
Councilors cited dysfunction in the CRB, noting it has struggled to meet six member quorums to conduct business. The legislation brings the board's administrator under the council's supervision.
Councilor Chol Majok voted in favor.
"We are not touching the board," Majok said. "The board is the way it is. We are bringing the administrator closer so that the supervision of the administrator is closer to us. We also, when it comes to replacing and bringing on and hiring an administrator it's going to be a shared responsibility between the board and the council as it always has been."
Councilor Rita Paniagua was among the no votes.
"I don't disagree that the CRB is lacking operations structure and I do not disagree that oversight may be needed to effectively service our residents seeking facilities for CRB services," Paniagua said. "But I do not agree in moving forward with this legislation without citizens participation or some kind of public discussion, which is the essence of the formation of this very CRB."
Lori Nilsson, board chair of the CRB, said from her perspective it feels like the legislation change takes away autonomy from the administrator and the board.
"If the council is appointing the majority of members to the board, the council is responsible for the hiring and firing of the administrator and the administrator's evaluation, where is the citizen-controlled aspect coming from?" Nilsson said. "That's my biggest concern."
The legislation now goes to Mayor Ben Walsh's desk.
