The newly revamped Citizen Review Board has announced the appointment of the Administrator that will lead the group forward. Joseph L. Lipari assumed the position of Administrator on May 15, 2012; he accepted the position on Thursday, April 5, 2012 after the CRB board unanimously appointed him.
Crystal Collette, Chair of the Citizen Review Board, stated this morning, “We could not be more excited about bringing Mr. Lipari to Syracuse to guide the board as we work to establish best practices around community relations, the investigation of complaints against the Syracuse Police Department, and our own interactions with the Syracuse Police Department.”
An Expert in the Field
Lipari will be relocating to Syracuse with his family from Chicago, IL. While in Chicago, Lipari has served as Director of Citizens Alert, a non-profit organization in Chicago that provides information and assistance to the public on issues of police accountability. He has also served as the spokesperson and Chair of Community Outreach for The Chicago Coalition for Police Accountability (CCPA). The CCPA is a partnership of civic groups (including the Cook County Public Defender’s Office and the Illinois ACLU) that works with the mayor’s office, the city council, and police officials to strengthen and reform the city’s police oversight mechanisms. He also currently works as a lecturer at the University of Illinois at Chicago teaching courses in African American and Urban History. Lipari brings a unique blend of expertise in police accountability and reform, community organizing, and the investigation of police misconduct.
“The new CRB is off to a great start. The current board and the common councilors who drafted the revised legislation have laid an excellent foundation. I’m really looking forward to joining the residents of Syracuse in their ongoing effort to revitalize the CRB which is one of the most important institutions in city government.” Lipari on his appointment as Administrator of the CRB. For more information on the Citizen Review Board: http://www.syracuse.ny.us/crb.aspx