DPS News

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Fraternity and Sorority Affairs partnered for an Earth Day cleanup on April 22, which brought together 10 DPS team members and 128 Greek members from 47 chapters to volunteer their time and effort to clean up the east neighborhood in Syracuse. The cleanup covered Ostrom Pl., Ostrom Ave., Livingston Ave., Sumner Ave., Ackerman Ave, Lancaster Ave., Redfield Pl., Clarendon St., Maryland Ave. and Thornden Park. A full truckload of garbage was picked up and disposed of at Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency’s refuse facility.

The idea for the cleanup event stemmed from Associate Vice President and Chief of DPS Craig Stone, and DPS led the coordination of locations and details. While it was the first time organizing such an event, the turnout and end result left a lasting impression on those involved and an excitement to continue this next year.

“I was immensely impressed with the turnout for the neighborhood cleanup. Over 100 students took time out of their Saturday morning to help make a positive difference for our campus community,” said Stone. “DPS is looking forward to continuing this initiative in the future.”

“Seeing our student volunteers and members of the DPS team work together was awe-inspiring and truly indicative of what it means to be part of the Syracuse University community. This is the first of many Earth Day events sponsored by DPS and we look forward to partnering with Fraternity and Sorority Affairs going forward in regard to this most worthy cause,” added DPS Sergeant John A. Stephens.

Shane Corridore, a junior in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and member of Sigma Alpha Mu, reflected, “The most meaningful part was just seeing how many people decided to be there and help out. The vibe was amazing, and everyone had a good time helping the community.”

“Service is a core value of the fraternity and sorority community, so when DPS approached us with this idea, we knew our chapter members would be eager to volunteer to make a difference in the local area,” said Tiffany Dennett, director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. “We expect this will become a staple of the many service projects our chapters support throughout the year.”

Story by Student Experience communications intern Wanshi Zhang ’23

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I am writing to make you aware of a disturbing and recent trend affecting schools, colleges and universities known as “swatting.” Swatting is when an anonymous caller makes an intentionally false report of the presence of an active shooter. Syracuse University experienced a case of swatting last night.

Some of you may have observed posts on social media claiming there was a shooter on our campus. When we learned of this claim, our officers in the Department of Public Safety (DPS) immediately responded to the report’s location where they confirmed the report was unfounded. Simultaneously, we were in touch with our local law enforcement partners who confirmed the report was similar in nature and origin to other swatting calls that have occurred in New York state and elsewhere.

I recognize the threat of an active shooter situation is all too real in the United States, particularly in light of today’s tragedy in Louisville, Kentucky, and other recent mass shootings in our country. As your police chief, it is my responsibility to ensure you are and feel safe on this campus. Part of that responsibility is having an emergency notification process in place that clearly communicates to our community when a threat to public safety is present. It is also my responsibility to prevent panic when no threat exists.

Notification Methods: Orange Alert System

In the event of an active shooter situation, you will receive immediate communications from DPS. These communications will be made via the Orange Alert System. Orange Alert provides rapid notification and instructions to Syracuse University students, faculty and staff, and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students in the event of a verified crisis in which an immediate threat of physical harm exists.

We reserve the use of this system for situations where there is an active or imminent threat of physical danger to our campus community. That is because when you receive an Orange Alert, we need you to know to take immediate action as directed. Orange Alert will leverage the following communications methods:

• email;
• text messaging;
• social media networks;
• cell/landline phone calls to send a brief notice about the incident and instructions about what actions to take; and
• sirens that sound on North Campus and South Campus.

After an Orange Alert message is broadcasted, more detailed follow-up information will be provided until it is determined the threat has been eliminated.

Sign Up in MySlice

To receive the emergency communications, all students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to log in to MySlice to ensure their contact information for Orange Alert is up to date. It is important to note that to receive text message notifications your cell phone number must be designated as a mobile device.

My colleagues and I are always available to discuss our processes, protocols and how we collaborate with local, state and federal law enforcement to keep our campus community safe. Finally, remember that the Department of Public Safety is here for you 24/7 by calling 315.443.2224 or by connecting on the Orange Safe app.

Sincerely,

Craig A. Stone
Associate Vice President and Chief
Department of Public Safety

On March 8, members of the campus community graduated from the Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) community police academy (CPA). The CPA is a free four-week program designed to give students, faculty and staff an idea of what it is like to protect and serve the campus community. During their time, participants learned from guest presenters, including certified instructors from DPS, Fire and Life Safety Services, Residential Safety Program and Syracuse University Ambulance.

The CPA culminated in a graduation ceremony where the graduates were presented with “Stop the Bleed” and CPA graduation certificates from Craig Stone, DPS chief and associate vice president. “Building trust with our campus community is something that we are constantly focused on,” says Chief Stone. “The CPA has been a successful tool in helping strengthen the bonds with our community. I am grateful to both classes of the CPA that have graduated this academic year.”

Feedback from the CPA graduates about how the program was run was encouraging to see. Anne O’Connor, student support assistant in the School of Education, believes the CPA allowed her to have a better understanding of how DPS operates. “Now I know how things flow within DPS, especially in terms of jurisdiction and who can help me in what type of situation,” says O’Connor. “It also showed how many people are really involved to ensure the welfare and safety of every person on campus.”

Officer George Wazen, coordinator of the CPA, is encouraged by the growth he has seen with the program during its first year. “We are so fortunate that our campus community is enthusiastic about this initiative. We were able to increase our number of applicants and our number of graduates from our first CPA that was run in October,” says Wazen. Continuing to improve and expand the CPA is priority number one. “Our team is already hard at work with how we can continue to evolve the program for the future.,” he says.

O’Connor believes the CPA is not just for those who have an interest in law enforcement. “Even if you don’t necessarily have an interest in the police force, this program gave a lot more insight on how to be safe, and the right steps to take in case of any emergency on or off campus,” she says.

Dates for the next CPA during the Fall 2023 semester are in the process of being finalized. To learn more about the program, visit dps.syr.edu and follow DPS on social media (@syracusedps) for updates.

Five new recruits were sworn into the Syracuse University campus peace officer academy on Thursday, March 9, by Syracuse Police 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 authority to enforce New York State law and local ordinances upon completion of the academy.

The recruits sworn into this academy class are:

• Dre Everson
• Montague Kreis
• Samantha Nagen
• Johnathon Wazen
• Pised Yoeun

The five individuals listed above are training to become Syracuse University campus peace officers. Three additional recruits are joining this peace officer academy and will be heading to Ithaca College upon completion.

“They will be tested throughout the next several months, but through hard work and dedication, they will become a part of something special,” said Sgt. Adam Wheeler, academy director. This is now the seventh time that the Department of Public Safety has held its own peace officer academy.

During the next several months, 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 a group that wants to join our team and serve the campus community, we will support these recruits in every way we can,” 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.