SYRACUSE, NY — On Friday, the Syracuse Police Department held a swearing-in ceremony for seven new recruits in the Storer Auditorium on Onondaga Community College’s campus.
The ceremony comes less than two weeks after Syracuse Police lost one of their own. Officer Michael Jensen was killed in the line of duty along with Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Lt. Michael Hoosock on April 14.
“This is hitting just days after … a week after our loss,” said Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile. “But, we continue to move forward. You know, we’re not in a position where we can throw our hands up and surrender. We’ll keep pushing academy classes out there because police are critical and necessary.”
The department needs to fill 43 more positions to be fully staffed. Chief Cecile says they’re sitting at 380 sworn officers right now.
The class sworn in Friday is Mayor Ben Walsh’s ninth Police Academy class since he’s taken office, and Chief Cecile hopes more are coming to fill the positions.
Syracuse Police Union President Joe Moran previously told CNY Central said the recent tragedy will most likely hurt recruitment. Although the shooting death of an officer is statistically rare, there are still concerns.
“Hopefully folks will come forward, officers like Michael Jensen, officers like Deputy Lieutenant Michael Hoosock,” Chief Cecile said.
The seven recruits sworn in Friday are:
- Gabriel Bui
- Courtney Butera
- Chelsie Delperuto
- Joshua Hood
- Connor Lynch
- Ehnee Pwe
- Jamison Wadsworth
When you do something that’s unpopular, which is what these recruits are doing joining this police department right now, it just speaks to their character.
