Mayor Walsh promotes Mark Rusin to Deputy Chief of Police Department
Published on August 04, 2022
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile announced the promotion of Mark Rusin to Deputy Chief of Police. Rusin, who has been a member of the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) since 2006, most recently served as Detective Sergeant. Rusin is known in the Department and the community for his work on the implementation of the Department’s body-worn camera program, updated department policies and procedures and police reform initiatives.
“Mark’s knowledge of law enforcement and his deep concern for the community has earned the respect of his fellow officers and residents and stakeholders with whom he has partnered to implement progressive, 21st-century police practices in Syracuse,” said Mayor Walsh. “From his work on police-community dialogue circles to helping train officers on new policies and procedures to being a liaison to the Citizen’s Review Board, Mark has demonstrated the ability to bring the community and our officers together to make the Syracuse Police Department the very best it can be.”
“Sgt. Rusin has worked tirelessly to elevate the professionalism of the Syracuse Police Department through best practice training, policies, and procedures. He has also worked tirelessly in the community, working with a multitude of civic organizations on Criminal Justice Reform, Executive Orders, far-reaching and inclusive policies and procedures, as well as overall transparency,” said Chief Cecile. “Because of this breadth of work, he is widely known and respected both within the SPD and in the community.”
Rusin will oversee the Department’s Uniform Bureau, replacing former Deputy Chief Derek McGork who left the Department earlier this month to become Director of Security at Le Moyne College.
Working as the Legal Affairs Liaison in the Office of the Chief of Police, Rusin played a lead role in the creation and implementation of the SPD’s updated policies, including its Use of Force Policy in 2019, which is recognized as a model policy in New York State. Rusin has also been instrumental in developing and overseeing Mayor Walsh’s Executive Order No. 1 enacted in 2020, which set forth sixteen pillars of police reform. He also helped draft the Syracuse Police Reform and Reinvention Plan created under a New York State Executive Order and has served on the Mayor’s Police Oversight Reform Committee. Rusin also drafted the SPD’s body-worn camera policy and supervised the rollout of the program to the police force.
Rusin served as a Patrol Officer in the Uniform Bureau from 2007 to 2009. He was a Detective in the Criminal Investigations Division from 2009 to 2018, investigating felonies, including multi-jurisdictional cases at the local, state and federal level. Rusin became a Legal Services Liaison in 2018. In addition to the Use of Force Policy, Rusin represented the Department when writing the “Interactions with Transgender Individuals” and was the department liaison to the local LGBTQ+ community. He is part of the SPD team working with the Onondaga County Department of Mental Health to create multi-agency and alternative response police for handling encounters with persons in crisis.
Rusin has been a Police Academy and In-service Instructor since 2011. Rusin received the Post Standard Award for Excellence in Criminal Investigation in 2017, the InterFaith Works Leader Award in 2017, the Chiefs of Police Association Award in 2016, the Police Benevolent Association Merit Award in 2016 and the Chief’s Achievement Award for Bravery in the Line-of-Duty in 2012.
Rusin has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Geneseo and a Master’s of Science in Criminology Law and Society from the University of California at Irvine.