Write a commentOn Monday, May 4th, the Public Safety Committee approved two intermunicipal agreements: one between the Oswego County Sheriff’s Department and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, and another between the Oswego County Sheriff’s Department and the Syracuse Police Department.
These resolutions would formalize long‑standing tactical partnerships and authorize the combined deployment of special weapons and tactics teams.
When I asked why these agreements were suddenly necessary—and why they were being pushed through with such urgency—Sheriff Hinton insisted the answer was obvious. He stated, “We’ve been doing this for forty years… This just codifies it.” If that is true, then the question becomes even more pressing: If this has worked informally for decades, why does it need to be codified now? What has changed?
The resolutions claim that the jurisdictions have experienced “a potential need” for joint tactical responses to incidents such as barricaded suspects, hostage situations, civil unrest, or other violent acts. Yet no evidence was provided to demonstrate this “potential need.” When asked for a legal definition of civil unrest, the sheriff acknowledged that the term is subjective and open to interpretation. That should alarm every resident of this county.
We have already seen peaceful demonstrators on the bridge labeled as agitators by some. Under these resolutions, such mischaracterizations could justify calling in a tactical team. That is not hypothetical—that is a foreseeable misuse of power.
Beyond the fundamental questions of why formalize these agreements now, there are serious concerns about cost, deployment frequency, and oversight. There is no requirement for the sheriff to report back to the legislature when the tactical team is used, why it was used, or what it cost taxpayers. That lack of accountability is unacceptable.
I voted against these resolutions because the information provided was insufficient, vague, and at times contradictory. The full legislature will vote on them at the next session. I strongly urge my colleagues to table these resolutions until we receive clear, specific, and verifiable information. Anything less is a blank check for expanded tactical authority without public transparency.
