DPS News

Internal Affairs/Professional Standards Investigations 2022

For the 2022 calendar year, the Department of Public Safety conducted a total of two (2) internal investigations.

Two (2) involved sworn personnel.

Of the two (2) complaints investigated, one (1) was sustained and one (1) was unfounded.

As a result of these complaints, one (1) sworn employee received a conversation form.

Review of the IA investigations revealed no discernible trends in performance amongst sworn and non-sworn personnel. Retraining has been completed at roll calls. A plan to incorporate training during yearly In Service training has been prepared. There were no other trends, policy, or training issues discovered.

Public Safety Informational Notice: Secure Your Residence Before Leaving for the Winter Break

Final exams have arrived and over the next week many of you will depart our campus for the winter break. The Department of Public Safety is reminding the University community to take the necessary steps to protect your residences and belongings before you leave.

For those of you who live on campus, please take the following steps to secure your space:

• Secure doors and windows.
• Close all curtains/blinds.
• Make sure to lock your door.
• Unplug all electrical items, except refrigerators.
• Do not give your keys out.
• Mark/engrave all items of value and keep a record including serial numbers.
• Do not leave credit cards, checkbooks, cash or other valuables readily accessible; these can be taken and used by a thief before you know they are gone.

If you live off campus, please:

• Make your residence appear occupied; consider buying a timer that automatically turns on interior and exterior lights at a predetermined time, or when there is motion.
• Be sure your outdoor lighting is working and sufficient.
• Lock sliding glass doors and place a wooden dowel or metal bar in the track of the door.
• Take anything valuable home with you, i.e. laptop computer, video game console, jewelry, etc.
• Do not leave any valuable items near windows. Take pictures of anything valuable and ensure that you have installed tracking software and documented the serial numbers of all electronic devices.
• Unplug all electrical items, except your refrigerator and timers.
• If you have a security alarm, make sure you turn it on when leaving.
• If you see anything suspicious, for on-campus, please call DPS at 315.443.2224 or use the Orange Safe app or for off-campus, call the Syracuse Police Department at 315.442.5111.

Even during the winter break, the Department of Public Safety is always working and available to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us at 315.443.2224 if you observe anything concerning. As always, our recommended safety strategies can be found on our website.

Wishing you all safe travels, a happy holiday season and a restful winter break.

November 2022 Updates From the Department of Public Safety

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

This will be the final message from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for the Fall 2022 semester. It has been an honor to become fully immersed in the Syracuse University community throughout the past year. I am already looking forward to the work ahead as we wind down the year and begin our preparation for the spring semester. With that being said, I wish for you all to have a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.

In today’s message, I will address the following topics:

  • Orange Safe Downloads and Giveaway
  • Preparing Residences for Break
  • Winter Weather Preparedness
  • Final DPS Game Night
  • Monthly Bias Update

Orange Safe Downloads and Giveaway

Our new campus safety app, Orange Safe, has reached a milestone of 5,000 downloads. In just a few months we have more than doubled the number of users that were registered on our previous campus safety app. On behalf of DPS, we appreciate the cooperation and engagement that has led to the early success of Orange Safe.

To recognize this milestone, DPS is running an “Orange Safe Giveaway” that is currently underway and will conclude on Friday, Dec. 9. For information on how to enter the giveaway you should download the Orange Safe app or visit our Instagram page: @SyracuseDPS.

Preparing Residences for Break

As many of you plan to depart campus for the winter break, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you to take necessary action to protect your residences, offices, cubicle spaces and belongings. Please review our latest informational notice about how to secure your spaces.

While many members of our community will be heading elsewhere after finals, many will remain around campus. As a reminder, the Department of Public Safety is always working and available to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us at 315.443.2224 if you observe anything concerning.

Winter Weather Preparedness

As we head into December, I want to stress the importance of being prepared for winter weather. I urge you to review our recent winter weather preparedness message. It is helpful to know how the University makes decisions during severe winter weather and how you can best stay informed. For additional winter weather resources, please visit the National Weather Service’s website.

Final DPS Game Night

Our DPS team has enjoyed interacting with members of our campus community in an informal setting thanks to our DPS game nights. With the end of the semester in sight, we have one more game night left. As always, we will have a PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Oculus Quest available for use. Our final game night will be held at the Schine Student Center on Wednesday, Dec. 14, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Participation and feedback from our campus community is vital. 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 follow us on social media for more information on future game nights and other DPS events: @SyracuseDPS.

Monthly Bias Update

Nov. 10: A student reported discovering antisemitic graffiti on a desk in Watson Theater.

Update: Interviews were conducted with several individuals who were in Watson Theater, but DPS has yet to identify any leads or additional information. We ask that anyone who may have information about this incident contact us immediately.

Nov. 30: An employee reported the discovery of racist graffiti that was found written on a men’s bathroom wall in Slocum Hall.

Update: DPS met with the employee who discovered the racist graffiti and inspected the impacted space in Slocum 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.

Best of luck to our students on final exams, projects and performances. And to all members of our community: on behalf of our DPS team, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season and restful winter break.

Sincerely,

Chief Craig A. Stone
Department of Public Safety

Important Winter Weather Information

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

As Central New York begins to experience winter weather, we are writing to you today to provide you important information regarding how the University navigates and communicates about extreme weather conditions. We ask that you please review the enclosed information carefully.

In general, Syracuse University will remain open for business. However, we will always prioritize the safety and well-being of our community members when determining operating status. The University works with an independent weather service, Precision Weather Service, to inform our decisions about weather delays, closings or other operational changes. Input is also provided by Academic Affairs; Campus Facilities; Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services; and the Student Experience.

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

Public Safety Informational Notice: Burglaries on South Campus

On Saturday, November 19, 2022, at approximately 5:30 a.m., the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) responded to an occupied burglary in progress complaint at Small Road.

Upon arrival, DPS and SPD officers encountered two perpetrators, who were subsequently taken into custody without incident. There were no reported injuries. SPD is the lead agency on this case.

DPS asks that community members that are staying in the Syracuse area during the holiday break, particularly those living on South Campus and in adjacent off-campus neighborhoods, to remain alert for suspicious activity. Burglars are looking for open/unlocked windows and doors as a mean to enter properties to steal items. So please, always secure your belongings and residence before you leave or before you go to sleep at night.

In addition to locking your doors and windows, we encourage you to:

• Avoid leaving your keys out in the open.
• Mark/engrave all items of value and keep a record of them, including serial numbers.
• Not to leave credit cards, blank checks, or other valuables readily accessible; these can be taken and used by a thief before you know they are gone.
• Make your house look occupied; buy a timer that automatically turns on interior and exterior lights at a predetermined time, or when there is motion.
• Ensure your outdoor lighting is working and sufficiently bright.
• Lock sliding glass doors and place a wooden dowel or metal bar in the track of the door.
• Not to leave any valuable items near windows. Take pictures of anything valuable and ensure that you have installed tracking software and documented the serial numbers of all electronic devices.

If you observe anything suspicious while on-campus, please call DPS at 315.443.2224 or use the Orange Safe app. For individuals off-campus, please contact the Syracuse Police Department at 315.442.5111. In the event of an emergency, please dial 911.