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The Syracuse Citizen's Review Board returns

The organization that investigates police brutality by the Syracuse Police Department could be coming back to life.  Syracuse Lawmakers December 19th will decide whether to approve a revised law that solves some of the issues that have plagued the Citizen's Review Board over it's 17 year history. 

They started in May every two weeks  going over the city's C-R-B legislation with a fine tooth comb this citizens review board advisory group looking at every sentence, and every word members changed some, left others the same, and in the end, created a revised citizens review board legislation that public safety committee chair Pam Hunter says adds teeth and accountability to the process.

It makes the CRB more quantitative, that there are actual tangible outcomes, timelines given to hear complaints. The role of the administrator is more clear on what the tasks and duties that  they are  supposed to be doing on a day to day basis...

When the C-R-B came to life in 1993, it was meant to investigate complaints of police brutality by the Syracuse Police Department. It's only administrator, Felecia Davis, was fired last February, after the mayor's office determined there were deficiencies in the operation of the organization. 

One of the big issues that has plagued the group is the fact that police officers who are subpoenaed don't testify. Hunter says her group looked at that issue, and says it's the enforcement on the police departments part to get the officer to comply and she says the CRB has the power to subpoena officers.

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.