Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
Summer has sure flown by. While the weeks are busy preparing for everyone’s return, I have been able to spend some time on the weekends getting to know Central New York. There are so many beautiful places to visit that are close by!
We are looking forward to everyone returning in just a few short weeks. I have several important topics I would like to address with you this month in our update, including the following:
· Leadership Changes
· Community Police Academy
· New Safety App
· Student of Color Advisory Committee
· Monthly Bias Update
Leadership Changes
As announced late last week, our team here at Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services will transition from being part of the Division of Business, Finance and Administrative Services to part of the Division of the Student Experience. I have sincerely enjoyed working with Gwenn Judge, interim senior vice president and chief financial officer, and am looking forward to collaborating with Allen Groves, senior vice president and chief student experience officer, to allow for even more student-focused engagement and collaboration with Student Experience partners.
Community Police Academy
I am very pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for our very first Community Police Academy. This is a free four-week program designed to give eligible students, faculty and staff an idea of what it’s like to protect and serve our campus community. For the Fall 2022 semester, the classes will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Lyman Hall, Room 020 on the following dates:
· Wednesday, Oct. 5
· Wednesday, Oct. 12
· Wednesday, Oct. 19
· Wednesday, Oct. 26
To learn more and apply, visit our website.
New Safety App
Just in time for the start of the Fall 2022 semester, we will be launching a new safety app for our campus community designed to improve your safety and keep you informed. Orange Safe is our latest safety app, which offers many of the same safety features that our community is used to but also has several new and exciting features that we are looking forward to sharing more information on soon. We are hoping to have the app available in the app store later this month. Stay tuned for more information.
Student of Color Advisory Committee
It is not too late to submit your nomination for the Student of Color Advisory Committee. This committee, which brings together students, Department of Public Safety (DPS) members and other campus community members to focus on public safety and quality-of-life matters, will provide feedback on safety and DPS intervention, among other topics. Nominations should be sent to nomination@syr.edu with a statement detailing the student’s interest in the committee and why the student would be a valuable member of the group. We ask that nominations are submitted by Friday, Sept. 2.
Monthly Bias Update
July 14: Report of two incidents, reportedly similar in nature, occurred on Saturday, July 9, and Monday, July 11, on Euclid Avenue—one on the sidewalk near Shaw Hall and the other on the sidewalk on Euclid Avenue near the guard shack. In both incidents, those impacted reported being called a racial slur as they were walking by a group of individuals.
Update: Our team conducted interviews with the reporting party and individuals in the area, and performed an extensive review of the available camera footage. We continue to look for additional leads and urge anyone with information to come forward.
As a reminder, if we do have additional updates, we will update the chart on our website and share any developments in this monthly email.
It is also never too late to come forward with information. You can call DPS at 315.443.2224 or submit information anonymously via the Silent Witness tool. In addition, to report a bias incident or to receive support, visit the STOP Bias website.
I look forward to seeing you all later this month.
Sincerely,
Chief Craig Stone
Department of Public Safety