By Jason Klaiber
Area residents and officials gathered in Minoa on Sept. 26 to show appreciation for local law enforcement agencies, particularly the Manlius Police Department.
The newly formed Greater Manlius Police Appreciation Coalition (GMPAC) organized the presentation in Lewis Park with the goal of boosting morale for men and women in blue amidst tensions and rising crime nationwide.
John Loeffler, who hosted the Saturday morning event, said “divisive rhetoric” has often hindered officers’ duties and put a damper on discussions about police reform.
“There are some big issues that have reverberated across our country over the past several months regarding law enforcement within our communities,” Loeffler, a former Manlius town councilor, said. “We will need to work together, including with our various law enforcement agencies, to identify positive steps that will move us all forward.”
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, the first in a line of scheduled speakers, said Manlius police officers helped with such tasks as the delivery of meals and groceries to senior citizens unwilling to leave their homes at the onset of the coronavirus lockdown.
He said the officers have remained ready at all times, however, to respond to the more complicated and demanding concerns of the job.
Instead of pursuing defunding measures, McMahon said the proper amount of tools and extent of training should be supplied to those in law enforcement in order to prepare them for dire situations.
He also said improvements can be made throughout the area to better assist young people in making sound life decisions and avoiding crime.
Town Supervisor Ed Theobald said the Manlius Police Department has, since 1996, met “stringent” requirements to become the only police department in Onondaga County with national and state accreditations.
Theobald said these achievements can be attributed to the accountability of its officers and the leadership of Chief of Police Michael Crowell.
“All town residents should applaud the police,” Bill Brazill, the mayor of Minoa, said to the crowd gathered in front of the park’s gazebo. “Next time you see one of our officers, tell them ‘thank you’ for the job they do to protect us.”
Brazill said the town’s police officers also serve as counselors that can comfort people going through troubling times.
Fayetteville Mayor Mark Olson said dilemmas in the town of Manlius resulting from snow, wind storms and flooding have been resolved at a faster rate since the establishment of the Critical Response Committee (CRC) in the fall of 2001.
Headed by the Manlius Police Department, the CRC improves communications among the community’s first responders and plans emergency preparation activities.
Despite occasional disagreements with members of the force, Manlius Mayor Paul Whorrall said his “great appreciation and respect” for the police department stems from the professionalism its members display while problem-solving and the fact that his uncle Thomas served as the Village of Manlius’ police chief for a quarter century.
Whorrall said the local police department provides additional security and comfort for the townspeople through undertakings like its free safety inspections of child passenger seats.
Marissa Joy Mims, the president of the Fayetteville-Manlius Board of Education, said her school district’s resource officers — who also make home visits to check on students in some cases — enhance the educational experience for all involved.
“They have gone above and beyond to serve our children and to do what’s best for our community,” Mims said.
At the end of the hour-long event, GMPAC presented Crowell with two plaques, which Loeffler called symbols of appreciation for “keeping the community strong.”
According to Crowell, the Manlius Police Department makes 600 arrests and reports around a dozen use-of-force instances annually on average. With roughly 10 million annual arrests on the countrywide level, there are about 1,000 deaths in police custody within a typical year in the United States, he said.
“The overwhelming number of police in this country are very good, hard-working people, but we also recognize that there’s always work to do,” Crowell said.
GMPAC, which formed in early August, plans to hold more events in the future. Its members include Brazill, Loeffler and former town councilor Richard Rossetti.
