Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
In anticipation of the start of a new academic year, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) team has been hard at work preparing for your arrival. We are very much looking forward to greeting you in the next couple of weeks.
I have several important topics I would like to address this month in our update, including the following
- Youth Leadership Camp
- CALEA Accreditation
- Training
- Employee of the Month
- Monthly Bias Update
Youth Leadership Camp
DPS held its second annual Youth Leadership Camp for rising ninth graders from the Syracuse City School District the week of July 15. The camp is designed to prepare rising ninth graders for high school and provide them with the skills to be successful in life.
We appreciate the Office of Government and Community Relations for being a sponsor of the camp; Bill Coplin, professor of policy studies in the Maxwell School for instructing the students in Skills Win: A Program to Improve Basic Career and Citizenship Skills; and all the volunteer students, faculty and staff who assisted with the camp.
CALEA Accreditation
Over the past three years, with a goal of seeking advanced accreditation, outside assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) have been reviewing our policies and procedures for compliance.
In July 2024, the team lead assessor, Amy Schreiner, deputy chief at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, conducted an on-site assessment that included, among other things, interviews with campus stakeholders and public safety partner agencies and ride-alongs with campus peace officers. The four focus areas of the on-site assessment included communications and dispatch operations; crime prevention and community involvement; recruitment and selection of personnel; and response to active threats and critical incidents.
The final report will be forwarded to the commission for review and decision. In November 2024, DPS will appear before the CALEA Commissioners in a public review hearing to discuss the findings of the assessment.
Training
This summer all DPS peace officers and dispatchers received trauma informed care/policing training from the University at Buffalo, School of Social Work, Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC) by instructor Thomas Gibbons, retired senior investigator for the New York State Police. The department also received diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility training from Christina Papaleo, DEIA learning and development specialist from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
We strive to support a campus culture that is truly welcoming and offers a sense of safety and openness to diverse communities, perspectives and experiences.
Employee of the Month
Detective Chris Wood has been selected as our July 2024 Employee of the Month.
Detective Wood’s hard work culminated in July with a successful CALEA on-site assessment. He met the requirements of providing hundreds of updated and new standard operating procedures (SOP) documented proofs for each SOP and managed a multi-day on-site assessment.
Monthly Bias Update
There are no new updates to share. 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.
Look forward to seeing you all soon!
Sincerely,
Chief Craig A. Stone
Department of Public Safety