Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner delivered her final state of the city address Thursday night…a message that was decidedly more reflective on the accomplishments of her past seven years in office. She highlighted successes in city schools, with the Land Bank, and using new technology and data to tackle the city’s daunting infrastructure challenges. Miner also touched on downtown and neighborhood development. She says with the historic Hotel Syracuse complete, it’s time to build on that momentum just a few blocks south with the long-vacant Central High School, also known as the Greystone building.
"It's time we gave this Syracuse classic a chance at a new future that might forge connections between Downtown and the Southside," Miner said. "In the coming weeks, I will be asking the Board of Education to decommission the building as a school, after which the City can commence a process to challenge the development community to come to the table with creative new ways to bring Greystone back into public use."
Miner says more than $400 million has been invested in Downtown Syracuse since 2010, and $1.5 million city-wide. But her message took a more somber tone when it came to public safety. Miner says while violent crime has trended down, 2016 was the deadliest in city history. She’s hoping a cutting-edge gunshot detection service called “shot spotter” will help curb gun violence.
"By informing law enforcement in real time where gunfire is happening, ShotSpotter acts as a force multiplier - allowing for more cost-effective allocation fo personnel and resources," Miner said. "Other localities that have embraced ShotSpotter have realized a median decrease of gunfire of 35 percent in the first two years of deployment. Over the course of this year, the Syracuse Police Department will be deploying ShotSpotter in a three-square-mile area. We believe our city will be safer as a result."
Miner says the service will complement the more than 140 cameras across the city, and soon, 15 new body cameras worn by officers. The mayor also took time to reflect on the city’s role as a haven for immigrants…both past and present. She drew the longest applause and a standing ovation when she made a declaration in light of the uncertainty many immigrants have told her they’re feeling after the presidential election.
"I want to take this opportunity to erase some of that uncertainty, and some of that fear, for our neighbors who happen to be immigrants. To that end, I promise you that so long as I am Mayor, the resources of this City, including the Syracuse Police Department, will not be used to help enforce federal anti-immigrant policies," Miner said to sustained applause.
Miner says supporting and welcoming immigrants is not only a moral imperative, it honors the city’s history. The mayor wrapped up her address with another promise not to back down from tough decisions to meet the city’s challenges during her final year in office.
