Public Safety Update 11/11/2015

Yik Yak Threat Incident and Arrest

On 28 October 2015, DPS received a report regarding a post on the Yik Yak app. There have been reports by media and law enforcement that individuals sometimes use Yik Yak to post threats, public alarm posts, or annoying posts because the sender believes they are anonymous.

The app shows posts made within a 10-mile radius of the sender, and the post is available for a limited amount of time before being taken down. The student who reported this incident was very alarmed by a post on Yik Yak and notified DPS. DPS detectives were able to collaborate with Yik Yak, other law enforcement entities, and SU’s ITS team to identify the individual, a former student who resides in the City of Syracuse.

The individual was arrested and charged. DPS takes any and all threats against the University community very seriously and was able to end this incident with a safe and positive outcome. Our hope is that individuals who believe they can remain anonymous while posting comments on public websites for unlawful purposes will end this practice with the knowledge that they are not able to remain anonymous.

To report threatening content on anonymous platforms like Yik Yak, call the Department of Public Safety at 315-443- 2224, or text or email the DPS at 711@syr.edu.