Mediaboss Marketing

Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse mayoral candidates Ben Walsh and Khalid Bey both said they would amplify the voices of the Black Lives Matter movement if elected as the citys next leader.

Their comments came during a forum on public safety hosted by WCNY. Moderated by David Lombardo, host of the stations Capitol Pressroom, the forum featured all three candidates for mayor: Democrat Bey, Republican Janet Burman and independent Walsh, the incumbent.

Questions mostly derived from a six-part documentary that the station aired earlier this month on policing and police reform.

Walsh called the Black Lives Matter movement critically important to such reform and touted his actions while protesters took to the streets of Syracuse last year, saying he met one-on-one with both activists and police officers.

Weve heard loud and clear from thousands of citizens in the community that they felt that they were not being heard, that they felt that they were not being valued, and thats unacceptable, Walsh said, adding that he wants the city to be a leader in this area.

Burman was less direct, focusing on ways to address the concerns of those involved in the BLM movement without saying she would amplify the cause. She called for a community policing method, with the same officers assigned to smaller precincts, to improve trust between the public and the police.

But Bey, who also advocated for community policing, said BLMs goal is one that deserves attention.

I think were headed in a horrible direction when the preservation of life is going to be political, Bey said. We have to do our best to ensure that everybody is protected.

He compared the difference in videos circulating on the internet of armed white people being arrested safely while unarmed Black people have been shot or otherwise harmed.

One such video shows a now-infamous arrest on Grace Street in May 2019. In the video, a driver is pulled from his car and an officer punches him in the head two or three times. The driver had been stopped for loud music.

Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner defended the officers actions as the necessary result of a suspect who refused a lawful order to leave his vehicle and continued to resist after being pulled from the drivers seat. He said the officers hadnt violated the departments use of force policy a policy that was revised shortly after the incident and has been updated again since.

Bey said he thought the mayor and police chiefs changes to the use of force policy actually made it worse.

Before, our only concern was a closed fist to the face, and we thought that created opportunity for too many injuries, Bey said. But its now been changed to include a host of other things that police officers could potentially do that I think creates a greater chance for injury to citizens.

Bey didnt elaborate on what other actions officers are now permitted to take under the policy.

Walsh defended the policy changes, saying constant review and revision is necessary. He also pointed to de-escalation training provided to officers under his administration as a way to stop the need for use of force in some cases.

Bail reform

Violent crime has emerged as a defining topic of the mayoral race, with the candidates sparring over the statistics. According to data from the Syracuse Police Department, violent crime is up 4% over the same time last year, and homicides are on pace with 2020s record-breaking number. Overall crime is down 12%.

Bey and Burman say violent crime in Syracuse has exploded under the Walsh administration.

The spike in violence has created an environment where so many people feel our city is approaching lawlessness, Bey said.

Walsh said the trend is concerning. He pointed to national trends showing an increase in violent crime across the country since the start of Covid.

But candidates disagreed over whether the rise in violent crime in Syracuse is related to the hot-button issue of bail reform.

In New York, bail reform mandates the automatic release of most people arrested and charged with non-violent crimes. Raise the Age legislation is targeted at juveniles and encourages that more young people even some charged with violent crimes be sent to Family Court instead of criminal court.

Buckner and Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick have both spoken out about the reform measures, linking them to the premature release of violent criminals.

Burman said she thinks younger kids are getting involved in crime because of Raise the Age and that bail reform has handicapped law enforcements ability to keep the community safe.

I think its important that the mayor act as advocate for our citizens and speak up and speak to our legislative representatives about the consequences that these laws have unleashed in our community, Burman said.

Walsh said the intent of the laws is right: We should not be criminalizing poverty; it shouldnt matter how much money you have. That shouldnt determine whether or not you have to stay in jail.

Children make mistakes and deserve second chances, Walsh said. He pointed to his own privilege as a reason hed been given the benefit of the doubt when he made errors in his youth.

Bey said its clear that nonviolent crimes should be treated differently than violent crimes.

He pointed to the cost of housing someone in the Onondaga County Justice Center as a reason to keep fewer nonviolent criminals in jail overnight.

We can do much better by simply empowering and employing people, spending our money that way, Bey said.

The candidates will meet again Wednesday when Syracuse.com hosts at a debate at 6 p.m. View that debate live on this site.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Call or text Megan Craig at 315-925-7137, email her at mcraig@syracuse.com or send a direct message on Twitter @megcraig1.

Link:
Khalid Bey and Ben Walsh say they would amplify voices of Black Lives Matter if elected - syracuse.com