DPS News

Welcome to a new academic year. Please take a moment to review the safety strategies and communication processes that guide how the Department of Public Safety (DPS) keeps our community informed and safe.

Safety Strategies

Every member of our campus community plays a role in keeping Syracuse University safe:

• Download the Orange Safe app to receive alerts, connect with DPS and access resources.
• Follow Syracuse DPS on social media for important updates.
• Use sidewalks, crosswalks and walk signs when traveling across campus.
• Always lock your doors, windows and vehicles. Keep valuables out of sight.
• Use a U-shaped lock for bikes and scooters and register them with DPS.
• Travel in groups after dark or request the Safety Escort Shuttle via Orange Safe (8 p.m.–6 a.m.).
• Stay alert to phishing and scam attempts. Never share personal information with suspicious contacts.

Additional safety strategies are available on our website and in the Orange Safe app.

How DPS Communicates

DPS issues broad emergency communications when there is an active or imminent threat to campus, an active crime scene requiring the community to avoid an area or when a suspect is at large and we need the community’s help. Broad communications may not be issued when there is no continuing threat, when another agency has jurisdiction and directs otherwise, or when doing so would jeopardize an active investigation.

Public Safety Messages (Timely Warnings)

Public Safety Messages are distributed via email, the DPS website and DPS social media. There are three types:

• Public Safety Notice—a timely warning related to an ongoing concern for violence.
• Public Safety Information—a warning related to a property crime pattern or general safety information.
• Public Safety Update—an update to a previously issued notice or a threat that has passed.

Emergency Notification (Orange Alert)

The Orange Alert system provides rapid notification to the Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry communities in the event of a verified emergency or immediate threat. Alerts are sent via email, text, phone, social media and the Orange Safe app. Sirens on the Shaw Quadrangle, Whitman School of Management, Falk College complex and South Campus housing will also sound. After an Orange Alert message is broadcast, more detailed follow-up information will be provided through various means, including but not limited to the University’s website, University social media resources, email, phone and campus radio and television resources.

Update Your Contact Information

To receive Orange Alert and Public Safety communications, all students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to 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, select “Orange Alert Contacts” from the navigation menu and then review your information.

If you need to add, update or delete contact information, select “Contact Details” from the navigation menu. Utilize the “Orange Alert Private Phone” feature to add a secondary/emergency contact (i.e., parent, spouse, sibling, etc.) to receive alerts.

DPS is available 24/7 at 315.443.2224 or via the Orange Safe app. Wishing you a safe semester.

What happens after the call ends? For first responders, the impact of the emergencies they answer does not always stay on the scene. Paul Smyth, Manager of EMS for Syracuse University Ambulance, knows this better than most and he is doing something about it.

Paul was recently selected as a fellow in the New York State Department of Health Division of State Emergency Medical Services Mental Health Fellowship, in partnership with the Mental Health Association in New York State (MHANYS). While SUA operates independently from DPS, Paul has been a consistent and valued partner to our department for years, volunteering his time and expertise to support both our Police Academy and our Community Police Academy. That kind of commitment to the broader campus safety mission does not go unnoticed, and it is exactly why we want to recognize this milestone.

Deputy Chief John Sardino reflected on what makes this recognition so fitting.

“Paul Smyth is an exceptional professional whose leadership, expertise, and unwavering commitment to the Syracuse University community, and more specifically the Department of Public Safety, distinguish him as an outstanding employee,” says Deputy Chief Sardino. “His dedication to emergency preparedness, student safety, and the development of others has had a meaningful and lasting impact on our campus community. Paul is the type of leader who not only performs at a high level himself, but elevates those around him through his knowledge, integrity, and commitment to service. His selflessness and dedication to the health and wellness of others makes him the perfect fit for the New York State Department of Health Mental Health Fellowship.”

Through this yearlong fellowship, Paul will receive specialized mental health and wellness training, work alongside EMS professionals from across New York State, and develop practical strategies to strengthen mental health, resilience, and peer support within his agency. The fellowship is designed to bring that knowledge back directly to the people on the ground, the ones who show up every day to serve our community.

For Paul, the opportunity carries real weight. “On a professional level, I was very excited to be selected and to have the ability to represent one of the first collegiate EMS agencies in NYS to take part in this yearlong fellowship,” he says. “I am confident that with this specialized training, it will give me the tools I need to assist our membership when it comes to dealing with traumatic events that occur when we answer the call for help, either on or off campus.”

That mission extends beyond SUA’s membership. “The average person will experience two to three traumatic events during their lifetime, but in the first responder community those numbers are dramatically higher,” he says. “My goal in completing this fellowship will be to provide confidential support and to work closely with the Barnes Center to provide professional resources when a member experiences a traumatic event — hopefully providing resiliency not just as a first responder, but after graduation when they may be working in a healthcare-related field.”

First responder wellness is not a side conversation. It is a public safety issue. We are glad to see it being championed by someone who has already given so much to the people around him.

Congratulations, Paul. We are proud to call you a partner.

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.