SPD reviews incident timeline during Westcott Theater public hearing
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Syracuse Common Council held a public hearing Monday to hear a presentation from Syracuse First Deputy Chief Richard Trudell and Syracuse Zoning Administrator Jake Dishaw concerning several incidents at Westcott Theater as its future remains uncertain.
Common Councilors are considering a proposed ordinance to revoke Westcott Theater’s special use permit, which allows it to host events, following several community complaints and violent incidents. The special use permit SP 08-08 was originally issued to the venue in 2008 and is required for the theater to operate within the category of indoor entertainment and recreation.
Trudell and Dishaw’s presentation consisted of several videos showing incidents outside of Westcott Theater during its past events. Trudell said the incidents shown in the videos are “not uncommon” for the theater.
The council confirmed the issue would be addressed at its Sept. 28 meeting after previously pushing the vote.
“There’s been numerous fights, noise complaints and violence inside and just outside on the sidewalk,” Trudell said.
The Syracuse Police Department has been forced to send officers to Westcott to assist with crowd control and break up fights outside the theater on several occasions, Trudell said. In one instance, at a Halloween event, he said SPD sent “at least 14” officers to the area outside the theater.
“I don’t have these excess resources. I didn’t have 14 extra officers to send to Westcott that night,” Trudell said. “These officers should have been dedicated to call taking, these officers should have been dedicated to kids out trick-or-treating.”
The presentation also reviewed instances where Trudell and Dishaw said the theater was noncompliant with permit requirements. On one occasion, Dishaw said the theater was required to hire 12 registered security guards for an upcoming show due to violent incidents at an unnamed performer’s previous events and the size of the concert.
“We were concerned with this particular concert based on prior violence and the events that had occurred at the Westcott in prior weeks,” Dishaw said.
The presentation contained bodycam footage from an SPD sergeant, who was sent to the theater to check if it had hired the required security. The video showed Westcott Theater Owner Daniel Mastronardi telling the sergeant, “I got 12, don’t worry about it,” but being unable to provide a list of 12 names.
Mastronardi had only hired nine total security guards for the event, Trudell said.
Trudell also alleged the theater was noncompliant with an investigation inside the theater on Aug. 1. Trudell said the theater didn’t report the incident and that the floor was “recently mopped,” but the SPD was still able to find blood at the crime scene.
Additionally, the presentation displayed a timeline of incidents, including a May 2025 shooting after which SPD found shell casings from multiple guns at the crime scene. Following the incidents, the city ordered the theater to shut down on June 3.
Trudell ended the presentation by calling on the council to do something about the venue’s violence before something worse happens.
“You don’t have to wait for a homicide,” Trudell said.
Councilor Rasheada Caldwell questioned the presenters on whether the licensing requirements could be miscommunicated to event promoters.
“(The promoters) may not know what their expectations are,” Caldwell said. “They’re not the ones doing the paperwork.”
Before adjourning, Councilor Jimmy Monto assured the chambers that the council had no intentions of permanently shutting down Westcott Theater.
“Nowhere in front of this body is an effort to go off and board up the Westcott Theater,” Monto said. “The current ordinance in front of us is the revocation of a permit to operate for the person who is now operating here and this is it.”
