As the weekend approaches, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is reminding our campus community of important tools and strategies that help maintain a safe environment for students, faculty and staff. This reminder follows two incidents that occurred last weekend, both of which resulted in the immediate apprehension of the perpetrators, all of whom were identified as minors.
The first incident occurred in the 700 block of Ostrom Avenue on Sunday morning around 3:15 a.m. A student was walking when they were confronted, struck and knocked to the ground by two female suspects. The victim reported the incident to DPS and both suspects were quickly located and identified. Both minors were ultimately released to their homes. The victim sustained an injury to the face.
In the second incident, an individual, who has no affiliation with Syracuse University, was walking in Oakwood Cemetery just before 5:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, when they were robbed by three male suspects, one of whom appeared to display a firearm. All three suspects were quickly located, taken into custody by the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) and charged with robbery. No injuries were reported.
In an effort to enhance your safety and well-being, we recommend utilizing the following safety strategies and initiatives:
- Utilize the expanded safety shuttle services, including two new fully accessible vans, focused on reducing wait time during late evening and early morning hours. Call 315.443.SAFE for a shuttle.
- Walking escorts are also available to further support the area neighborhoods.
- Never walk alone and night and always walk in groups and be aware of your surroundings. Most street crime incidents occur at night, and usually involve students walking alone or with just one other person.
- Report suspicious activity and persons to either DPS or SPD.
- Download the LiveSafe app. Connecting with DPS is as easy as opening an app on your smartphone. With LiveSafe, you can call DPS or 911 in the event of an emergency, report tips, including videos and pictures, or use the SafeWalk feature, which permits you to virtually share your location with friends as you walk to a destination.
- Sign up to receive Orange Alerts. As a reminder, this is the University’s crisis notification system, designed to provide rapid notification and instruction in the event of an imminent threat to our campus community. Please log in to MySlice to verify that your contact information is up to date.
If you have any information regarding this incident or others, please contact the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224. If you would like to anonymously report NON-EMERGENCY information for DPS, you can use the Silent Witness tool.
If you or someone you know has been affected by an incident on or near campus, please know that there are resources available to you. In addition, for your safety, please review these suggested safety strategies.
This public safety information is issued for your safety in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act.