Community Review Board releases preliminary DPS recommendations

After last year’s student-let protests and sit-ins at the Barnes Center and Crouse-Hinds Hall, the protestors’ demand for a full investigation into the Department of Public Safety is now set in motion.

According to an email sent by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch — who was hired to conduct a third party review of DPS — released the preliminary recommendations for the Community Review Board. The board, which will investigate DPS throughout the 2020-21 academic year, will review DPS internal affairs, “files regarding public comment from civilian members of the University community” concerning officers, Weapons Use Reports, Bias Related Incident Reports and any “additional topics of concern” that the Syracuse community raises.

In the email sent out to the university community Friday evening, Lynch said that the “framework is not final and is meant to stimulate continued discussion,” and highlighted the key elements in the proposal, which include what exactly the duties of the board will be during the investigation and the composition of the board.

The board will be comprised of two undergraduate students, a graduate student, two faculty members, two administrators and two staff members, all of whom will be reviewing DPS conduct. They will be “selected with consideration given to the need for and importance of diversity on the Board, including — but not limited to — race, creed, color, gender, gender identity, national origin, religion marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation and status as a disabled veteran.”

The board will make their final recommendations, but Chief Bobby Maldonado is “not obligated to adopt” such recommendations, but must respond and explain why DPS will either adopt or reject the recommendations.