Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor-elect Sharon Owens has chosen a deputy chief with 19 years in the Syracuse Police Department to be the department’s next leader.

Owens said she will appoint Mark Rusin as the chief to take over for retiring Chief Joe Cecile . After initially planning to step down at the end of the calendar year, Cecile has agreed to stay in the job through Jan. 14 to help with the transition.

Owens said Rusin, 42, will be the department’s youngest chief in more than 100 years. He joined the force in 2006 and rose to his current rank in August 2022.

In his current role, Rusin oversees the SPD Uniform Bureau, which includes 265 sworn officers and 50 civilian employees. He has helped launch new initiatives such as the Retail Crime Task Force at Destiny USA, which has hel

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