Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
With a new semester underway, I am writing today to provide reminders about how to be securing your space and protecting yourself and your property. This is especially important as larcenies, burglaries, vehicle thefts and break-ins are more common when our community members first return to campus.
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) are urging the Syracuse University and surrounding communities to be aware of their surroundings and take actions necessary to keep themselves and their property safe. In addition to encouraging vigilance, DPS and SPD have increased presence and patrols on and around campus. We ask our community members, particularly those living in adjacent off-campus neighborhoods, to remain alert for suspicious activity and take the following action to protect themselves and secure their space:
* Always lock your windows and doors – both when you’re home and before you leave your residence.
* Make your residence look occupied; consider buying a timer that automatically turns on interior and exterior lights at a predetermined time, or when there is motion.
* Be sure your outdoor lighting is working and sufficient.
* Lock sliding glass doors and place a wooden dowel or metal bar in the track of the door.
* Lock windows on the ground level of your residence.
* Do not leave any valuable items near windows. Take pictures of anything valuable and ensure that you have installed tracking software (e.g. Find my iPhone) and documented the serial numbers of all electronic devices.
* If you have a security alarm, make sure you turn it on when leaving your residence.
* Always secure your residence, even if you leave for a few minutes.
If you utilize your personal vehicle on and off campus, please:
* Always lock your vehicle.
* Be sure all windows on your vehicle are closed
* Do not leave items in your vehicle and if you do, be sure they are not visible to anyone looking in (e.g. place them in the trunk).
If you see anything suspicious on-campus, please call DPS at 315.443.2224 or use the Orange Safe app. For off-campus suspicious activity, call the Syracuse Police Department at 315.442.5111. If you observe an immediate threat to safety, call 911.
As a reminder, the Department of Public Safety is a 24/7 operation and always available to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you observe anything concerning. Our recommended safety strategies can be found on our website.