FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On Behalf of The Syracuse Citizen Review Board
April 18, 2024
As the details surrounding the deaths of Syracuse Police Officer Michael E. Jensen and Sherriff's Lieutenant Michael Hoosock continue to come into focus, the Syracuse Citizen Review Board (CRB) and its members wish to join our community in expressing our heartfelt condolences to Officer Jensen and Lieutenant Hoosock's families, our enormous gratitude to these men for their service and sacrifice, and our profound sadness for the toll this tragedy continues to visit on our community.
The CRB is a volunteer board consisting entirely of Syracuse City residents. These board members are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of our Mayor and Common Council. Our mission is to act as an independent civilian oversight relative to police activity.
Disagreements sometimes arise between groups charged with oversight and the groups they oversee. CRB and law enforcement have disagreed at times. But those disagreements are the exception: CRB and law enforcement consistently work together towards fulfilling our commonly held goals. We want the same thing – to live in a community where safety and justice prevail. The CRB holds tremendous respect for law enforcement and the enormous good that law enforcement confers on our community.
Good – as compared to the evil Officer Jensen and Lieutenant Hoosock confronted that Sunday night. Just like with so many other tragic examples involving law enforcement or indeed any first responder, these men ran right into harm's way without any hesitation. They did it for their family, their friends, their neighbors, for the people they never met but kept safe anyway. They did it for all of us. Officer Jensen and Lieutenant Hoosock are heroes. They will be forever missed.