The Department of Public Safety was ranked at number six in the National Campus Safety Summit’s 2015 list of Top 25 university administrative departments making a difference in student safety.
The ranking came as a result of a nomination detailing the Department’s numerous off-campus patrol initiatives at peak hours on nights and weekends, and the neighborhood and inter-departmental partnerships DPS has undertaken in the past five years. There were 4,706 eligible U.S. college or university administrative departments nominated for consideration this year.
These include the University Area Crime-control Team (UACT), an initiative started in 2012 and staffed jointly by the DPS and Syracuse Police Department patrolling the East Neighborhood and Marshall Street area on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights;
the Neighborhood Safety Patrol (NSP) program, which addresses student safety and quality of life issues and deters criminal activity in the East Campus Neighborhood area;
and Orange Watch, which provides an expanded DPS presence in key areas on Main and South campus and areas to the north and east of campus with walking, bicycle and vehicular patrol coverage between 7:00 pm and 5:00 am and on weekends.
Senior Vice President and Chief Law Enforcement Officer Tony Callisto, Jr. said the ranking was a testament to the fine work accomplished at the Department on a daily basis. “It is no surprise the Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety would rank highly in the top 25 college administrative units in the US for serving the safety and security needs of our students. The commitment and dedication of each peace officer, dispatcher, community services officer, support staff member and student worker at DPS play a major role is protecting our community. As a nationally accredited campus law enforcement organization, DPS has best in class programs, procedures and training, but it’s the people of DPS that make the organization one of the finest in the country!”
“They’ve proven an outstanding dedication to improving the safety of their students, faculty, staff, and visitors,” Linda Shaw, Safe Campus Director, said.
The National Campus Safety Summit will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada in February 2016. The Department is grateful for the consideration of the Summit’s awards committee and for the efforts of its employees to make Syracuse University and the surrounding areas a safer place.
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