Jawwaad Rasheed Appointed to SPD Chief Accountability Officer

Published on February 08, 2023

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Police Chief Joe Cecile announced the appointment of Jawwaad Rasheed as the first-ever Chief Accountability Officer of the Syracuse Police Department (SPD). Working in the Office of the Chief of Police, Rasheed will serve as a member of Chief Cecile’s executive leadership team.

Rasheed has more than forty years of public and private sector service, including judicial decision-making, civil and criminal litigation, general law, negotiation, and business risk analysis. Most recently, Rasheed worked in Rome and Utica, New York at as an Oneida County Family Court Support Magistrate. He has worked with New York State Courts for 27 years.

“Jawwaad’s extensive experience in the judiciary process and progressive knowledge of law and ethics make him an asset to the Department,” said Mayor Walsh. “He will be focused full-time on implementing our police reform initiatives and strengthening police-community relations. Jawwaad will serve both the citizens of Syracuse and our officers well to make certain that SPD’s work enhances a growing city that embraces diversity and creates opportunities for all. The appointment means more capacity in the Office of the Chief to improve policing and public safety.”

Rasheed will lead the ongoing implementation of the Department’s police reform initiatives, including Mayor Walsh’s Mayor Walsh’s Executive Order No. 1, as well as the Syracuse Police Reform and Reinvention Plan resulting from a state Executive Order.  Rasheed will assess the SPD’s accountability to required policy and procedure and assist in developing future benchmarks, policies, and procedures to ensure the department continues to progress in a transparent, and accountable manner.  He will also serve as the Department’s juvenile justice liaison to government entities and community organizations providing juvenile, family court, and child protection and support services.

Chief Cecile said, "Mr. Rasheed’s vast experience in the Judicial System, as well as his broad involvement in various public and private organizations will be of great assistance to the Syracuse Police Department as we strive to stay progressively on track with our current and future Criminal Justice Reform benchmarks."

Rasheed has served Monroe County, both in the County’s Law Department and its District Attorney’s Office. For nearly ten years, Rasheed also worked at the State University of New York teaching courses such as Law & Ethics, a study of American style democracy and morality, Juvenile Delinquency and the courts, a study of how our legal system interact with American youth.

Before coming to Central New York, Rasheed spent time in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Los Angeles at the U.S. Department of State Agency for International Development, the Bendix Corporation Aerospace Electronic Group, and the First National Westminster Group of Companies.

Rasheed earned his Juris Doctor and his Master of Law from Georgetown University Law Center. His Master of Law is in International Business. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College in Political Science, Middle Eastern Studies and African American History.

Rasheed also founded the NY State Support Magistrate Association, where he sat on the board of directors. In addition to his years of law service, Rasheed has also been involved with the 100 Black Men of the Greater Syracuse area, United Way of the Mohawk Valley, Mohawk Valley Junior Frontiers. He currently serves as a trustee of the Science Academy of New York (SANY) charter schools. Rasheed will relocate to Syracuse from the Mohawk Valley this year.