Well over 100 people packed common council chambers at Syracuse City Hall Wednesday for the swearing in of the new police chief. Families, law enforcement, elected leaders and community members witnessed Mark Rusin take the oath.
Mayor Sharon Owens got to know her appointed chief as he rose through the ranks during her eight years as deputy mayor. She said he has an iron-clad understanding of police policy, law, and an innovative brain.
"This is probably one of the smartest people I've ever met in my life," Owens said. "I'm serious. And it is that brain coupled with his knowledge of law enforcement, knowledge of constitutional, state, and charter law.”
Rusin took several minutes to individually acknowledge many who turned out for the ceremony, saying they all work as a team to support public safety. He said the city has faced significant challenges, yet made measurable progress.
“Crime has been reduced through targeted strategies, smarter deployment, and stronger partnerships," Rusin said. "Equally important, we have strengthened trust by listening to our community, increasing transparency, and building relationships that are deeper and more meaningful than ever before. But progress is not a finish line. It's a responsibility.”
Rusin said he’s ready to continue innovating and building stronger bonds with the community, as well as focusing on officer wellness, carrying on the main priorities of his predecessor Joe Cecile. The 40-year department veteran attended Rusin's swearing in, the same day he retired.
Also at the ceremony, Rich Trudell was sworn in as the new first deputy chief and David Metz, James Milana, and Jason Tom were promoted to deputy chief.
COUNCIL COLLABORATION
The Syracuse Common Council is preparing to work with a new police chief for the first time in four years. Most councilors already know him from his time as deputy chief. New councilor Donna Moore is also the public safety committee’s new chairperson. She said she plans to invite Rusin to a committee meeting in the near future to learn about department goals and explain how they prioritize calls.
“It behooves us to have citizens understand that some things they call for don't necessarily require a police response. It's a simple thing of filing a report," Moore said. "So I think understanding where the police are coming from, what their priorities are in our city, and being able to communicate that with our community is going to be super helpful going forward.”
Moore said on the campaign trail, she heard from many residents who felt police response was inadequate for nuisance calls. Rusin said at his swearing in that community engagement continues to be a top priority.
Councilor Moore says she’ll also ensure police accountability.
“What are some of the crime statistics and have there been incident reports that we should know about, we should talk about, and what are you doing to address some of those issues?" she said. "As chair of the [public] safety committee, I actually do oversee the CRB. They're a separate entity, but I do work with them. So I'm hoping to meet with them soon to talk about what they're doing and their priorities.”
The CRB, or Citizen Review Board, is the independent agency that investigates complaints of police misconduct. Overall, Moore says the council is confident in Rusin’s leadership and is excited to have him as the city’s police chief.
