DPS News

A recent incident on campus is a reminder that one phone call can change the outcome of a situation entirely.

An SU student noticed something that did not feel right: an unknown male walking through a parking area, looking into vehicle windows and checking door handles. Rather than walk past, she contacted DPS.

Making that call was not automatic, she says. “Sometimes it can be difficult to discern whether a situation is serious enough to report to law enforcement or if it’s something that’s better left ignored. What I realized, though, is that reporting suspicious behavior isn’t just about whether I personally feel threatened — it’s also about looking out for the safety of those around me.”

That perspective made the difference. “At the time, I had safety measures in place to protect myself, but someone else may not have those same protections. By reporting something that seems out of the ordinary, I could help prevent a situation from escalating and potentially protect someone else.”

Officers responded, located the individual, and identified him as a non-SU affiliate. A records check revealed he had multiple active warrants. He was taken into custody and turned over to the Syracuse Police Department.

None of that happens without her making the call.

This is exactly what “see something, say something” looks like in practice. It does not require certainty. It does not require confrontation. It requires one person deciding that something feels off and picking up the phone.

If you see suspicious activity on campus — someone looking into vehicles, testing door handles, or lingering in a parking area without an obvious reason — contact DPS immediately at 315-443-2224.

Trust your instincts. DPS will handle the rest.

It takes less than 60 seconds to steal a car. In many cases, the thief did not even need to break in.

July is National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, and vehicle thefts have been on the rise in the neighborhoods surrounding campus. Whether you live on campus, commute, or park nearby, your vehicle could be a target. The good news: most thefts are preventable. Here is what you need to know.

What Thieves Are Looking For

Not all vehicle thefts are random. Some are crimes of pure opportunity: a car left unlocked, keys visible through a window, or an unattended vehicle left running. Others are highly targeted. Certain makes and models have known software vulnerabilities that allow thieves to start them with nothing more than a USB cable. Criminals actively scout neighborhoods for these models, and if there is no visible deterrent, the entire theft can take under 60 seconds.

The areas most affected are just outside campus: the North and East neighborhoods. Lighting is lower, foot traffic is reduced, and the chances of getting caught are much smaller. Many vehicle thefts in these areas are also a byproduct of residential burglaries, where a thief enters a home or apartment and takes car keys along with other property.

The Basics Still Matter Most

The overwhelming majority of vehicle thefts and break-ins happen because someone skipped a basic step. Before anything else:

• Lock your doors and roll your windows up completely, every time, even if you are stepping away for just a minute.
• Never leave your vehicle running unattended. Beyond being a theft risk, it is a traffic infraction in New York State, and victims in these situations often receive a ticket on top of losing their car.
• Do not leave anything visible in your vehicle. A backpack, a phone charger, or even loose change can be enough to prompt a break-in. Put everything in the trunk before you arrive at your destination.
• Radar detectors and dash cameras are being targeted. These devices are highly visible when mounted to your windshield or dashboard and are easy for a thief to spot from outside the vehicle. Remove them when you park and store them out of sight.
• Keep your keys secure at home. Do not leave them on a hook near the door or visible from a window. A burglar who spots keys will often take the car too.
• Never store your vehicle title or a spare key inside the car.

Level Up Your Protection

If you want to go beyond the basics, a few additional steps can make a significant difference:

• Use a visible steering wheel lock. A heavy-duty club-style lock signals to a thief that your car will take too much time and noise. Most will move on to an easier target.
• Own a keyless entry or push-button start vehicle? Store your key fobs in a Faraday pouch at home. Thieves use signal amplifiers outside residences to relay your fob’s signal to the car and drive it away without ever touching the keys.
• Consider a GPS tracker. It will not prevent a theft, but it dramatically improves the chance of recovery. Reporting a stolen vehicle within the first 24 hours with its make, model, color, plate, and VIN increases recovery odds by over 30 percent, so keep that information saved on your phone.

What DPS Is Doing

DPS works alongside the Syracuse Police Department through joint patrol programs targeting known auto-theft corridors around campus. Officers conduct regular audits of campus parking areas, and when a cluster of incidents is detected, DPS issues targeted Public Safety Notices with specific guidance for the affected area. Campus lots are also continuously assessed for lighting and camera coverage to reduce vulnerability.

That said, we cannot be everywhere at once. We need the community with us.

How to Help: Report What You See

If something feels off, trust your instincts and report it. Thieves often scout parking areas before acting. Watch for people slowly walking through lots looking into windows, testing door handles, or lingering near parked vehicles without reason.

On campus, contact DPS:

• Emergency or crime in progress: call 315-443-2224, dial #78 (#SU) from your cell, or dial 911.
• Orange Safe App: use the tip reporting feature to send photos, videos, or a text description directly to DPS dispatchers, anonymously if preferred.
• Non-emergency tips: submit through the Silent Witness tool at the DPS website.

Off campus, call 911 for emergencies or the Syracuse Police Department non-emergency line at 315-442-5111.

Do not worry about being wrong. We would much rather respond and find out everything is fine than miss the chance to stop a theft in progress.

Before the Year Starts

Take five minutes now to set yourself up:

• Download the Orange Safe app and make sure it is set up before you need it.
• Register your cell phone number in MySlice to receive Orange ALERT messages and Public Safety Notices.
• Save your vehicle’s make, model, color, plate number, and VIN in your phone.

A few small habits go a long way. Lock up, stay aware, and do not hesitate to reach out to DPS. We are here.

Article written by Alexa Selter, senior at Newhouse and DPS Communications and Marketing Assistant

Two years ago, I moved into Watson Hall as a sophomore at Syracuse. I was living with a roommate I barely knew, nerves running through me, and the person who made me feel most welcome was the man sitting at the front desk.

His name is Don Plantz, and he is a Residential Community Safety Officer at DPS. My roommates knew him. My friends knew him. My parents knew him. And when I sat down to interview him this spring for this spotlight, he squinted at me and said, “You do look a little familiar.”

That is very on brand for Don.

Walk into a residence hall on Don’s shift and there is a good chance he already knows who you are. That is not an accident. Every day, he sets a goal for himself: learn five new names. He thinks about them on the drive home, matching faces to names until they stick. By the end of the semester, he is not just waving you through the door. He is calling you by name.

“I don’t want to just say hi, how are you,” Don says. “I want to call them by their name.”

Don has been an RCSO at DPS for five years, working across five different halls. He is currently stationed at Orange Hall, and if you stop by his post, you will likely find a candy bowl waiting for you, a seasonal display, maybe a jelly bean dispenser. The decorations and candy were his idea from day one. When he first got the job, he thought about the students who would be living in his hall, many away from home for the first time, some who could not make it back for the holidays.

“I said, I know what I want to do. I want to decorate my post every holiday and put candy out every night.”

I remember that candy bowl. I remember how it felt to come back to the dorm after a tough day and have someone at the desk who actually looked up, smiled, and asked how you were doing. Not because it was in the job description, but because that is just who Don is.

His road to DPS was not a straight one. Don was born and raised in Syracuse, graduated from Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square in 1975, and went into the Air Force for five years. He was stationed at Lakenheath Air Base in London, an experience that broadened his world considerably.

After the Air Force, he worked a range of jobs, including a long stint as a travel agent and trainer at Rosenbluth International out of Philadelphia. A company executive’s words stuck with him and have guided him ever since.

“He said, everybody thinks making a lot of money is what makes you happy, but it’s not that. He said, you have to have a passion for whatever you do.”

The actual path to DPS came through a regular customer at the Nice & Easy convenience store in Fayetteville where Don was working at the time. That customer, then DPS peace officer, now Commander of Community Engagement Jeremy Welling, noticed Don was ready for something new.

“He said, you ever thought about working at SU?” Don remembers. “I said, what would I do at SU, Jer? I don’t have a degree.”

Welling told him about the RCSO program. Don applied, was selected, and has not looked back.

“It has been the best job I have had.”

Don will be turning 70 in November and when people ask when he plans to retire, he has a simple answer.

“As long as I have a passion for working, I’m going to work. The students are keeping me young.”

That passion shows up in the small things and the big ones. He brings extra food deliveries inside so students do not come down to find them missing. He follows up on lockouts all the way through, not just handing someone a phone number. He holds the door open during fire alarms and waves off anyone who offers to take over.

He also takes seriously the security side of his role. Not long ago, he caught an unauthorized visitor who had followed a student into the building and could not produce a valid room number. Don sent him out immediately and called DPS when the man returned later that night.

“I am always constantly looking out for the students as far as their safety,” he says.

But moments that clearly mean the most to him are the ones no job description could anticipate.

There was a student in Brewster hall who had passed away during the school year. After the passing, Don had been hoping to meet her parents to tell them how much she had meant to him. He came into his shift that night and a couple approached his post asking for him by name. The student had told them all about Don.

“I woke up that morning hoping I would get a chance to meet you,” he told them, “to let you know how much she meant to me.”

There was one InclusiveU student in his hall who would always pass the candy bowl without taking any. Don noticed. He thought about it and tried something different. The next time they came in, he held the candy out directly to her. Now every time the student passes the elevators, he can hear her telling the other students: the guard at the desk just gave me candy.

“It just warms my heart. It really does.”

I was one of those students who benefited from Don’s presence without fully being able to put it into words at the time. I just knew that Watson Hall felt safer and more like home because of him. My parents would ask about the man at the front desk. My roommates still bring him up. That kind of impression does not come from just doing your job. It comes from genuinely caring about the people in front of you.

Outside of DPS, Don works as a cashier at Target, goes to Syracuse Mets games, and makes regular trips to Binghamton, where his wife Joanie is in a nursing home. He visits on his days off, sometimes staying overnight to keep her company. He has told his students about her, and without fail, their first question when he returns is: how is your wife? A few have already asked if they can make the trip down to meet her.

Don has been married for 38 years, and he shares one piece of advice with students regularly: never go to bed mad.

“My biggest fear would be if one of us should pass and we never had a chance to say I’m sorry. And it was probably over something really stupid.”

Ask him what he wants the campus community to know about him, and he does not talk about safety protocols or check-in procedures.

“I actually get excited every night that I have to work,” he says. “I know I’m going to see all my friends.”

That is what he calls us. His friends.

I am graduating next month, and I will not be walking past Don’s desk anymore. But I will remember what it felt like to have someone in that building who actually knew my name, who genuinely wanted to make my day a little better just by being there. That is not something you forget.

And if you are a current student living in Orange Hall, go say hi. There might be jelly beans.