Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - A standing-room-only crowd of well-wishers filled the town council meeting room at noon Monday for the swearing in of a new town marshal.
Town Clerk Julie Kline administered the oath of office to Tony Ciriello, a former Kosciusko Sheriff's Department officer.
Ciriello, a 17-year veteran of the KCSD, was hired by the town council in mid-July.
"I really appreciate all the support. Thank you all for being here," Ciriello said. "I'm glad to be on board. It's time to go to work."
He called Syracuse a "great town with great people." He characterized the police department as a "great bunch of guys. I've known these guys for a lot of years and I'm looking forward to working with them."
Ciriello said one of his main goals is communication.
"I want our officers to know the public and I want the public to know them. I want the public to know me," he said. "Good communication is what I want and I think we can accomplish that."
Ciriello also said law enforcement in Syracuse poses different challenges because of the seasonal lake population.
"Law enforcement is different in this town because we deal with a lot of out-of-town people. People come from different areas with different ideas of law enforcement," he said.
"I think we should work delicately with those people so they understand our laws, which may be a little different from the laws in their towns."
Ciriello, who officially began work Monday after the swearing in, said he already spent several hours driving around Syracuse, familiarizing himself with the town.
"I've been trying to get a feel for the town, trying to know my way around."
