City of Syracuse Name Police Chief

Syracuse, New York

Mayor Ben Walsh name Kenton Buckner the next chief of the Syracuse Police Department today.

Buckner has been the chief of the Little Rock Police Department in Arkansas since 2014.

Buckner was one of three finalists selected after an eight-month search process to find the next chief. The other candidates were Joseph Cecile, first deputy chief in Syracuse, and Kamran Afzal, chief of police in Durango, Colorado.

Walsh will introduce Buckner to the community at an event Friday morning. Walsh said Buckner was the best candidate for the job.

“Chief Buckner brings effective crime reduction strategies and a track record for increasing the diversity of his force,” Walsh said. “He understands the importance of having strong partnerships with law enforcement and the community to make our neighborhoods safer. Syracuse has an outstanding police department. I believe Chief Buckner will make it even better.”

Chief Buckner has a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University. He’s a graduate of the National Executive Institute, sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. He’s also a commissioner for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

Buckner’s top two priorities in Syracuse are reducing violent crime and building a coalition of partners from other agencies at the state and federal level.