Nine new recruits were sworn into the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety (DPS) Campus Peace Officer Academy on March 21 by Syracuse Police First Deputy Chief Richard Shoff. Collaborating with the Syracuse Police Department on the swearing-in ceremony serves as an official welcome and endorsement of the joint law enforcement efforts in the University area, and to provide these campus peace officers with the authority to enforce New York State law and local ordinances upon completion of the academy.
The recruits sworn into this academy class are:
- Thomas Bingham
- Kit Diana
- Donovan Green
- Keyatta Green
- Teng Kiir
- Sean McCaffery
- Delana Thomas
- Barrington Wallace
- Liam Welling
The nine individuals listed above are training to become Syracuse University campus peace officers. One additional recruit, Jay Kreis, is joining this peace officer academy and will be heading to Onondaga Community College upon completion.
“We are excited to welcome this group of recruits and work with them over the next several months,” said Sgt. Adam Wheeler, academy director. This is now the eighth time that the Department of Public Safety has held its own peace officer academy.
During the academy, these recruits will be subject to technical, physical, classroom and field-based tests. Upon successful completion of the academy, graduates progress to field training with their respective field training officers for an additional 12 to 14 weeks.
Craig Stone, associate vice president and chief of the Department of Public Safety, addressed the friends and families of the recruits. “We are excited to welcome new members to our team and all of them have prior customer service experience. They will assist us in keeping the campus community safe and increasing community engagement with our students as we strive to obtain advanced CALEA accreditation,” he said.
The University’s Department of Public Safety provides round-the-clock protection to the Syracuse University campus. Through various patrol and crime prevention efforts, DPS partners with students, faculty, and staff to identify, recognize and eliminate crime hazards and risks within the campus community.