DPS News

Public Safety Informational Notice

On Sunday, Oct. 6, just before 2 a.m., officers from the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS), responded to 938 Ackerman Ave. for a reported fight. When officers arrived, the fight dispersed and several people, including those believed to be the suspects, fled the scene eastbound away from campus on foot. Two students sustained lacerations, believed to be caused by an unknown weapon, that required stitches and are being treated at a local hospital.

The suspects are described as males wearing black ski masks and black clothing. SPD, the primary investigating agency, asks that if you were in the vicinity at the time and witnessed the incident, please contact the Syracuse Police Department at 315.442.5222 or 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 or the Orange Safe app.

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.

Public Safety Informational Notice: Keeping Your Property Safe

With the semester in full swing, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) asks that you take a few minutes to review some important reminders about how to keep your property safe from theft.

Keep your bicycle and scooter safe

There have been several reports of stolen bikes and scooters on campus since the start of the school year. Please note the following best practices for locking your bicycle or scooter:

Secure Locations: Lock your bike or scooter in well-lit, high-traffic areas.
Proper Fit: Use a sturdy lock and ensure the lock fits snugly around the frame and wheel.
Avoid Obstructions: Avoid locking your bike or scooter near obstacles that could make it easier for thieves to access.

DPS always recommends using a U-bolt type of lock to better secure your bicycle/scooter and deter theft. These locks are available at the Syracuse University Bookstore in the Schine Student Center, as well as at most local retail stores and bicycle shops, and online retailers.

In addition, please consider registering your bicycle and/or scooter with DPS. To do that, complete this form to set up an appointment with an officer. A registration number will be affixed to your bicycle, and that information will be kept on record.

Don’t lose your packages

There has also been an uptick in package thefts on South Campus in recent days. Please note the following important steps you can take to protect your packages from theft:

Protect your packages!
• When ordering from Amazon, consider the option of having the package delivered to a secure Amazon hub instead of your doorstep, especially if it’s a particularly valuable item.
• For packages being delivered via UPS, FedEx or USPS, consider requiring a signature for delivery or arranging to pick the package up from a UPS, FedEx or USPS location.
• Do not have packages delivered to your residence hall, apartment, or home while you are away for an extended period. If you can, schedule the package to be delivered at a day and time when you know you will be home.
• Sign up for the carrier’s text message notifications so you know when a package has been delivered. Retrieve it promptly or ask a roommate to grab it if they will be home when it’s delivered.
• Do not prop open doors, and do not hold secure doors open for strangers. Politely ask them to use their key instead.
• Report suspicious activity to DPS immediately. If you witness a package theft in progress, call DPS and be prepared to provide a description of the person involved if you can.

If you see anything suspicious or to report a crime, please call DPS at 315.443.2224, by dialing #78 (#SU) from your cell phone, or dialing 711 from a campus landline. If you would like to anonymously report NON-EMERGENCY information to DPS, you can use the Silent Witness tool or the Orange Safe app.

The DPS office on Main Campus is located at 005 Sims Hall, and is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For our DPS Substation at 101 Marshall Street, hours of operation can be found here. You can also speak with Public Safety employees at security desks and other locations around campus.

Unlikely Connections: How a DPS Officer and Former Men’s Basketball Player Find Common Ground

An unexpected connection was made between a current Department of Public Safety (DPS) officer and a former Syracuse University men’s basketball player thanks to a DPS detective. Detective Mike Toia brought DPS Officer Teng Kiir and former men’s basketball player John “Bol” Ajak ’22 together for a conversation in Bird Library. Sharing stories about their journeys to the United States and finding common ground, the two hit it off.

To read the full article, visit news.syr.edu.

September 2024 Updates From the Department of Public Safety

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:  

Fall is here and we have many exciting events happening on campus in the coming weeks. All of us at the Department of Public Safety (DPS) appreciate our community’s focus on safety.  

In this monthly update there are a few items I want to touch upon: 

  • Scam Awareness  
  • Community Events
  • Employee of the Month 
  • Monthly Bias Update 

Scam Awareness

Across the country, there has been an increase in scams of all kinds. DPS and Information Technology Services (ITS) want to help the Orange community be aware of scams to look out for this year, and measures our students, faculty and staff can take to avoid being a victim.  

Scams to Be Aware of in 2024 

  • Textbook and laptop shopping scams: Be cautious when you search for cheaper alternatives online. Make certain the website you are visiting is legitimate.  
  • Scholarship scams: Cybercriminals are known to imitate banks, government agencies and other lenders to target students to steal their personal and financial information. Verify the opportunity by visiting the scholarship program’s website.  
  • Tech support scams: Fraudsters will mimic a school computer support technician and commonly say they need to install educational software and ask students to click on a pop-up window to give them access to their personal device. 
  • Fake job offers: Criminals pose as recruiters and reach out directly to targets, often over text message. Scammers will ask for information that is not typically required in a job application, like your bank account number and/or other sensitive information. 
  • Sextortion Scam Emails: The scammer will often demand payment, typically in cryptocurrency, in exchange for not releasing intimate or compromising information about you. To make their threats seem more real, they might include personal details such as your phone number, address or even the names of friends or family members. It is important to understand that bad actors often collect this information from publicly available sources without an actual breach of your accounts or devices.

Measures You Can Take to Avoid Being Scammed:

  • Do online searches: Look for reviews, complaints or similar scams. 
  • Do NOT believe your caller ID: Scammers are able to manipulate the number reported.
  • Do NOT pay upfront for a promise of future income. 
  • Ask questions to flush out whether the caller is legitimate (e.g., if they claim to be calling from the Internal Revenue Service or Social Security Administration, ask them to tell you your Social Security number or Visa number, or ask for a call back number you can then research).
  • Hang up on robocalls.
  • Do NOT deposit a check and wire money back to the individual who sent you the check.
  • Never give someone your login or PIN information for any accounts and use two-factor authentication wherever possible. 

Additional information on how to stay safe from scams and what to do if you become a victim can be found on the FBI website

Have questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to DPS at dpsadmin@syr.edu or ITS at help@syr.edu

Community Events

Halloween Safety Station

Our safety station is back and just in time for Halloween! Come see us outside of Lyons Hall, 401 Euclid Ave., on Friday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Oct. 26, from 9 p.m. to midnight. We will be providing snacks and reminding students of important safety tips and answering any questions they may have. Please feel free to stop by and say hello to those stationed at the table! 

DPS Game Nights

Join members of DPS for a PS5 and Oculus VR game night on the big screen in the Schine Student Center! Play against your friends or take on some of our DPS staff in your favorite games.  

DPS Game Nights will take place on Thursday, Oct. 3 and 19, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Coffee With a Cop Day

Coffee With a Cop Day brought new and familiar faces to Sims Hall yesterday. DPS set up outside Sims Hall and greeted students, faculty and staff with coffee, hot chocolate and tea. The event was a great way for our community to meet with members of DPS and ask any questions they might have had!

Open House at Marshall Street

The weekend of September 27 was a busy weekend across campus thanks to Family Weekend. To join in on the festivities, DPS held an Open House at our Marshall Street Substation. We welcomed the Syracuse University community, their family and friends and reminded them that our substation is a safe place to: 

  • report any incidents or suspicious activity; 
  • access important safety strategies and resources; and  
  • get to know the DPS staff that is on-hand to assist them. 

For hours of operation, visit our website

Employee of the Month

I am pleased to share that Officer Thomas Bingham, Officer Kara Salce and Officer Pised Yoeun have been selected as our September 2024 Employees of the Month

Officer Bingham helped provide medical care to a non-affiliate of the University until he could be transported to the hospital. Officer Salce constantly volunteers for extra duties in the community, all while maintaining a positive attitude! Meanwhile, thanks to his self-initiated walkthrough and attention to detail, Officer Yoeun prevented a possible crime from happening on campus by removing a non-affiliate of the University.  

Congratulations on a job well done! 

Bias Incidents

Sept. 22: A resident advisor reported the discovery of racist graffiti that was found written on a soap dispenser in a bathroom in Watson Hall. The dispenser was replaced.  

Update: DPS met with the resident assistant who discovered the racist graffiti and inspected the impacted space in Watson Hall. Due to the incident occurring in a restroom, there is no reliable video footage or direct witness accounts. We ask that anyone who may have information about this incident contact us immediately. 

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 and Hate website

Go Orange! 

Chief Craig Stone 
Department of Public Safety  

Public Safety Informational Notice

On Sunday, Sept. 22, just before 2 a.m., officers from the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) were patrolling the Marshall Street area when a fight broke out. The fight resulted in two individuals – not affiliated with Syracuse University – sustaining non-life-threatening stabbing wounds. No individuals affiliated with Syracuse University were involved.

SPD was already on the scene at the time the fight broke out and immediately took one suspect into custody. SPD is leading this investigation and is seeking the public’s help identifying any other individuals who may have been involved.

If you were in the vicinity at the time and witnessed the incident, please contact the Syracuse Police Department at 315.442.5222 or 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 or the Orange Safe app.

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.

Public Safety Informational Notice

Shortly before 11 a.m., Hinds Hall was evacuated due to a small roof fire. Fire and Life Safety Services and the Syracuse Fire Department responded to the scene to assess the damage. They have since completed their inspection and determined it was safe to reopen. As of 12 p.m., Hinds Hall is reopened and has resumed standard operations.

DPS to Conduct a Test of the Orange Alert Campus Crisis Alert Notification System on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) will conduct a test of the Orange Alert Campus Crisis Alert Notification System on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 3:40 p.m. It will be a full test of the system, which includes notifications sent via email, text message and voice call. The test will also include the Orange Alert outdoor siren system on the University’s North and South campuses. The sirens will be activated for two minutes at 3:40 p.m.

In addition to email, text and voice messages, the Orange Alert test message will also be sent via push notification to the Orange Safe app, to the main Syracuse University and DPS Facebook and Twitter accounts, and will display on the University’s homepage and video monitors located in common areas in several buildings around campus.

The Orange Alert message will be sent to all Syracuse University students, faculty and staff, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) students and to SUNY ESF faculty and staff who have signed up. Orange Alert will send a notice to all devices that are registered on the system.

“As we do every semester, it is time for us to do a full-scale test of the Orange Alert System,” says William Karnadi, director of emergency management and business continuity planning. “Ahead of the test on Wednesday, please go into your MySlice account and verify that your contact information is up to date. This includes making sure that your cell phone is categorized as a mobile device, so that you receive our text messages.”

To review and/or modify your Orange Alert contact information, go to MySlice, log in using your NetID and password, select Student Home or Employee Home, depending on your primary affiliation with Syracuse University, select the Personal Profile tile, then “Orange Alert Contacts” from the navigation menu and review your information. If you need to add, update or delete contact information, select the “Add/Update/Delete Contact Details” link. If you are an ESF student, use the ESF emergency contact information page to update your information.

For additional information on the Orange Alert system, visit the DPS website.

August 2024 Updates from the Department of Public Safety

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I can’t believe the fall semester is already here! Our entire Department of Public Safety (DPS) team has enjoyed seeing all the new and returning faces over the past couple of weeks. I hope everyone has settled in nicely as the semester gets underway.

If you haven’t yet, please review our communication that was sent out at the beginning of the semester which highlighted important safety resources and services. Please also make sure to read Dean of Students Sheriah Dixon’s email to you on Aug. 27.

Additionally, I have several updates to provide today, including the following:

  • Important Safety Reminders
  • Community Police Academy and R.A.D.
  • DPS Community Engagement Events
  • Employee of the Month
  • Monthly Bias Update

Important Safety Reminders

Keep Your Belongings Safe

Members of the Syracuse University community can take some simple steps to ensure the safety of their belongings. DPS recommends taking these actions:

  • Always lock your windows and doors, even if you are only going to be away from your room, apartment or house for a short period of time.
  • Ensure car windows and doors are locked/secured. Do not leave your keys in your vehicle.
  • Do not leave valuable items in your vehicle.
  • If you need to keep valuables in the car, make sure that they can’t be easily seen, e.g., please keep them in the trunk. Keep them out of sight and locked up!

If you have something stolen or if your residence or car is broken into, don’t hesitate to reach out to DPS. Our non-emergency phone number to call is 315.443.2224.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety

DPS would like to remind the campus community of a few easy steps that everyone can take to ensure we all reach our destinations unharmed, especially if we are walking or riding a bike or scooter.

  • Avoid wearing earbuds or headphones.
  • Look both ways before crossing and cross at the crosswalk.
  • Wait for the walk signal!
  • Be proactive by wearing light or reflective clothing during low-light situations.

Some specific safety tips for those on bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc.:

  • Obey all traffic signals, signs and pavement markings.
  • Ride with traffic as this makes you more visible and your movements more predictable to motorists.
  • You must wear a helmet!

Don’t forget to register your bike with DPS, so a record of your bicycle is kept on file in the event of a theft.

Community Police Academy and R.A.D.

Our DPS team is still accepting applications for our Community Police Academy (CPA) and registrations for our R.A.D. self-defense course. Please review the following information to determine if these programs may be of interest to you:

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 2024 semester, the classes will be held on campus in Lyman Hall from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the following dates:

  • Wednesday, Sept. 25
  • Wednesday, Oct. 2
  • Wednesday, Oct. 9
  • Wednesday, Oct. 16

To learn more and register for our CPA program, visit here.

R.A.D. Self-Defense Course: R.A.D. is a program of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques. The R.A.D. system is a comprehensive course that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance, progressing on to the basics of hands-on defense training. For the Fall 2024 semester, the classes will be held on the following dates from 6 to 9 p.m. at 1330 Jamesville Avenue:

  • Tuesday, Sept. 24
  • Tuesday, Oct. 1
  • Tuesday, Oct. 8
  • Tuesday, Oct. 15

To learn more and register for our R.A.D program, visit here.

DPS Community Engagement Events

Our DPS team is always looking for opportunities to connect with our campus community. Here are some events coming up:

DPS Game Nights: Game nights will be held again this semester in the Schine Student Center. There will be a PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Oculus Quest available for use, or just stop by to chat with DPS staff. You can find us in the Schine from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19. Be on the lookout for future dates for DPS Game Nights!

Coffee with a Cop: As you head to class or to work on Wednesday, Oct. 2, from 9 to 11 a.m., stop by Sims Hall to see our team from DPS giving away treats for our Coffee with a Cop Day!

Our tent will be set up right outside Sims Hall by the College Place bus stop with:

  • Coffee, hot chocolate and tea station
  • Sweet treats
  • Chance to win prizes and DPS swag

As always, we welcome your suggestions on other events we can host that allow our officers and our community to get to know each other better. Be sure to mark your calendar and follow us on social media (@syracusedps) for more information on these events.

Employee of the Month

Brandon Benson has been selected as our August 2024 Employee of the Month. This summer Brandon was very busy helping implement the fix for Wi-Fi readers on campus and helped fix an issue with the in-car video for our patrol cars. He also was the lead programmer for most of the card access conversion this summer and took charge on leading the installation of over 200 card readers being installed in Orange Hall.

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 managed by Community Standards staff.

Stay safe and have a productive start to the semester.

Go Orange!

Chief Craig Stone
Department of Public Safety