The public safety chair of the Syracuse Common Council denies that a special committee is meeting in secret to advise a board tasked with keeping police accountable. The New York Civil Liberties Union has questions about transparency as the Citizen Review Board resumes investigating complaints of police misconduct.
The NYCLU has twice requested the creation of a legislative advisory committee since November. But Assistant Director of Field Organizing Deka Dancil said no one knew it already convened.
“We were aware that the current group has met three times at a regular time," Dancil said. "Our response is if this is not a formal group, we're asking for it to be, that's it. That's literally all that we're asking for.”
Common council public safety committee chair Chol Majok says he’s been consulting informally with potential members of an advisory committee. But he says there’s been no formal gathering or discussion of legislation to warrant public notice…yet.
“There is no formal advisory committee that exists. None," Majok said. "The product of what an advisory committee will do, that is a public issue and once we get that committee going, any work will be public facing. We haven't even formed the group yet to even have a discussion.”
Majok says for that reason, the NYCLU’s concern is "very premature." But Deka Dancil says there needs to be more transparency.
“It just wasn't clear that all the parties that should know including the CRB board, the entire common council, the mayoral administration were notified before this group was even put together,” Dancil said.
In a letter dated Monday, the NYCLU called for a pause in all advisory committee meetings until the public is notified of its existence, members, meeting times, location, and past meeting minutes. Dancil says this Tuesday’s meeting was cancelled, but it’s not known why.
The CRB has been without an administrator since Ranette Releford abruptly resigned last fall. The city has had little response to the job posting. It was only recently that Councilor Majok and city hall installed a part-time temporary employee in the office to answer emails and take phone calls. And, the Walsh administration and common council have appointed several new members to the board so it can meet quorum and perform its duties.
