Dear Syracuse University Families:
Over the last few days, I have talked with many of you about the safety of the University community in light of a handful of recent incidents near campus.
I write today to assure you that the Department of Public Safety (DPS), in close partnership with the Syracuse Police Department (SPD), is working vigorously to maintain a safe campus community.
Our chief priority is and will always be the safety of our students, faculty and staff. As such, DPS will continue to do the following:
- Orange Watch patrols, which focus on expanded DPS presence in key areas on North and South campuses and in the neighborhoods north and east of campus, will continue through the semester break.
- The University Area Crime-control Team (UACT) patrols, which is staffed jointly by DPS and SPD and patrols in the immediate off-campus and fraternity/sorority neighborhoods focused on robbery and burglary suppression, will continue through Sunday, Dec. 17, with concentration on the areas impacted by the recent rash of incidents.
- Campus patrols will spend more time patrolling the fringe of campus in an effort to prevent these crimes.
- DPS/SPD investigators are working collaboratively to solve the recent crimes by reviewing security video footage and conducting interviews.
In addition, we are constantly evaluating our practices to ensure that we are responsive to the safety concerns of our campus and surrounding neighborhoods.
The University also uses the following advanced technology:
- More than 1,200 cameras are in strategic on-campus and near-campus locations. This is in addition to the cameras the SPD owns and operates to monitor the surrounding neighborhoods where our students live.
- Two new outdoor sirens have been installed on Main Campus, in addition to the two that already exist on South Campus and Main Campus.
- We also have more than 140 blue light emergency call boxes around campus.
- In the event of an emergency, we activate our Orange Alert system. This campuswide notification tool allows us to communicate directly with the community in real time to alert them of an active threat to our campus. It also enables us to communicate any action we recommend our community members take.
There are also a number of services available to our students to help keep them and make them feel safe. Students can call for a safety escort (315.443.SAFE) and sign up for the LiveSafe App on their smartphone, which acts as a mobile blue light, allowing them to contact the DPS Emergency Communications Center with the touch of a button and transmit their physical location during the call.
As chief of the Department of Public Safety and the father of a current Syracuse University student, please know that I am a resource for you and your student. Please feel free to contact me at 315.443.2224.
Sincerely,
Bobby Maldonado
Chief, Department of Public Safety