As of early August, there were far fewer crime victims in Syracuse compared to this time last year. The latest data show overall crime went down by 27%, with an 18% decrease in violent crime, and a 29% plunge in property crime.
“Our numbers last year in 2024 were low,” Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said. “But we didn't stop there and say, ‘wow, great year, let's just stop working.’ We continue to work hard.”
Murders are down 33%, and the number of stolen vehicles plummeted by half. Five-year averages are also trending far lower in nearly all categories. Chief Cecile attributes the progress to proactive policing, where experienced commanders motivate young patrol officers to connect with the community.
“An officer and his or her territory will step out of the car three times per shift for 20 minutes at a specific location and walk a beat because of some crime trend, whether it's gun violence, burglaries, robberies, assaults anything,” Cecile said. “They try to engage with citizens and business owners to see if they can glean some information about why this trend is occurring.”
He said, for example, officers walked their beats 76 times during a recent week. Officers and detectives use the information to pursue investigations with the goal of solving or preventing crimes.
The proactive approach is much the same for keeping kids away from guns. That’s the goal of the Mayor’s Office to Reduce Gun Violence, which works closely with SPD. Director Lateef Johnson-Kinsey said they’re conducting what they call custom notifications.
“We find out if individuals, young people, most likely 14 to 15 years old, have somehow been involved with gun violence or have been on social media showing firearms,” Johnson-Kinsey said. “We are getting a list of those names and we're actually going to their door meeting with their parents, meeting with the children."
He said they also work closely with the city school district and urge parents to reach out to his office if they don’t feel safe. Johnson-Kinsey said it doesn’t always have to result in a police response, but more of a conversation that ultimately results in removing a gun.
