The Walsh administration has tried a number of different approaches to combat gangs and gun violence in Syracuse. One that stirred controversy was a plan to pay gang members to stay out of trouble. That idea was dropped in an effort to get support from common councilors for a series of anti-violence programs. But the fallout illustrates where the three Democratic mayoral primary candidates might stand on the broader issue of addressing gang activity as the election approaches.
The council approved spending about $2 million in federal pandemic relief funds in 2023 for a wide-range of programs. They partnered with a handful of community organizations using trusted outreach workers to track, interrupt and resolve gang conflicts through mentoring and counseling. Councilor Pat Hogan explained why he was the lone no vote at a Syracuse.com/SU Newhouse School debate.
“I voted against [it], and I didn't think that was a good idea," Hogan said. "And right now it's sort of an abject failure because we were promised like 50 people would be in their program and we're down to like 14 and nothing's really happened.”
Hogan said instead, the city should use the community schools model of the 1970s and 80s. He said parks and recreation staff would be on hand at one elementary school in each council district to give kids a safe place for tutoring and other activities and keep them occupied into the evening.
Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens defended the programs she developed with community groups.
“It is interesting and easy for individuals to make statements like that about what is the most troubled population in our community...and that is individuals who make a choice to pick up a gun," Owens said. “As far as the numbers are concerned, the smaller number are the people who actually agreed to do counseling, which was going to be a stretch from the beginning.”
Owens says the more proactive approach is supported by the police chief, who says they can’t arrest their way out of the problem. Council public safety committee chair Chol Majok supported all six programs in 2023, but says they were ineffective.
“We put in $1.2 million into this gang violence, gun violence issue and it has not produced what was intended," Majok said. "We learn from it, and I think it wasn't a good program.”
The programs expired in the summer of 2024.
Majok said working with the county to provide a respite or rehabilitation space for young people might help stop the catch-and-release cycle, where they continue to get into trouble after being released to their parents.
