Syracuse University Department of Public Safety (DPS) received another FALSE report of an active shooter at Maxwell Hall and Eggers Hall at 11:47 a.m. on Monday, February 12. We determined this report to be false following a quick response from DPS and Syracuse Police Department (SPD) units and a thorough review of all available video footage around the area. Together with our law enforcement partners, we are investigating who is responsible for making this false report, as well as the false report we received Sunday evening. If you have any information, please contact DPS or local police.
DPS News
January 2024 Updates From the Department of Public Safety
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) team is thankful to our campus community for your efforts in ensuring a safe start to the semester. We have some important updates to share with you this month in addition to the email that was previously sent regarding important campus safety communications.
In today’s message, I will address the following topics:
- Orange Alert Test
- Information Technology Services (ITS) Phish Bowl
- DPS Game Nights
- Important Safety Reminders
- Employee of the Month
- Monthly Bias Update
Orange Alert Test
DPS will conduct a test of the Orange Alert Campus Crisis Alert Notification System on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 1:55 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 outdoor siren system on the University’s North and South campuses. The sirens will be activated for two minutes at 1:55 p.m.
The test message will also be sent via push notification to the Orange Safe app, to the main Syracuse University and DPS Facebook and X accounts and will display on the University’s homepage and video monitors located in common areas in several buildings around campus.
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.
Please note that our Orange Alert messaging will never ask you to follow a link and provide personal information. For additional information on the Orange Alert system, visit the DPS website.
Information Technology Services (ITS) Phish Bowl
Phishing scams disguised as account termination warnings, job offers or requests for help circulate among the University community from time to time. Please remember that ITS will never ask for your password or multi-factor authentication code. Any communication asking for this type of information should be deleted.
You can learn more by visiting the ITS Phish Bowl.
DPS Game Nights
Our DPS team is thrilled to have a full slate of DPS Game Nights scheduled for the spring semester. As always, we will have a PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Oculus Quest available for use. Anyone interested in attending can join us this Tuesday, Feb. 13, at the Schine Student Center, from 2 to 4 p.m.
We always 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.
Important Safety Reminders
With a new semester underway DPS would like to remind our campus community of important safety strategies to keep in mind:
Amnesty Policy
The health and safety of every student at Syracuse University is of utmost importance. We recognize that students who have been drinking and/or using drugs (whether such use is voluntary or involuntary) at the time that prohibited conduct occurs may be hesitant to report such incidents due to fear of potential consequences of their own conduct.
Syracuse University and DPS strongly encourage our campus community to report all forms of prohibited conduct to institution officials. A bystander acting in good faith or a reporting individual or organization acting in good faith that initiates help from a campus or community resource for assistance related to alcohol and other drugs, will be the University’s priority. The student receiving the medical assistant and the student(s) or student organization who called for help, will not be referred to Community Standards for alleged violations of alcohol and other drugs.
Hazing Prevention
Syracuse University is committed to promoting an environment that fosters respect for the dignity and rights of all its community members. As such, the University will not tolerate hazing activities by any individuals, groups, teams or recognized student organizations.
To make a report of hazing, or to determine whether a proposed activity constitutes or will constitute hazing, visit the Hazing Prevention webpage.
Bystander Intervention Strategies
Everyone in the Syracuse University community has the potential to be a prosocial bystander and intervene when faced with a possibly dangerous situation. We know that every person has different comfort levels and that their comfort and perceived safety can be impacted by their identities and the context of a situation. It might not always be plausible for us to intervene in a situation, so it is important that we assess whether we feel safe intervening and whether or not we are putting ourselves in danger by getting involved.
This is why we would like to encourage our campus community to review the bystander intervention strategies on our website, so every person can choose a strategy to intervene safely when a risky or potentially dangerous situation arises. As always, if it is believed that you or someone else is in immediate danger, please contact the Department of Public Safety or call 911 immediately.
Employee of the Month – December 2023
I am pleased to share that Community Service Officer (CSO) Jennifer Dunn has been selected as our December 2023 Employee of the Month!
CSO Dunn went above and beyond while conducting a property check which directly led to a suspect who was trespassing to be identified and taken into custody. Congratulations on a job well done!
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.
Go Orange!
Chief Craig A. Stone
Department of Public Safety
Student Experience Division
Public Safety Informational Notice: FALSE Report Called in to Law Enforcement, Confirmed to be FALSE
Syracuse University Department of Public Safety (DPS) received a FALSE report of an active shooter at Maxwell Hall and Eggers Hall. We quickly determined this report was false following an immediate review of available video footage and confirmed by swiftly dispatched DPS and Syracuse Police Department (SPD) units. Together with our law enforcement partners, we are investigating who is responsible for making this false report. If you have any information, please contact DPS or local police.
DPS to Conduct a Test of the Orange Alert Campus Crisis Alert Notification System on Tuesday, Feb. 13
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) will conduct a test of the Orange Alert Campus Crisis Alert Notification System on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 1:55 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 1:55 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 X 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 Tuesday, please log 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.
DPS Now Accepting Applications for Spring 2024 Community Police Academy
The Syracuse University Department of Public Safety (DPS) is currently accepting applications for its fourth iteration of the Community Police Academy. The department invites all students, faculty and staff to apply for this free four-week program designed to give community members an idea of what it is like to protect and serve the campus community.
“The Community Police Academy has been a focal point of our community engagement efforts,” says Associate Vice President and DPS Chief Craig Stone. “The goal of the program is for the participants to leave with a better understanding of DPS policies and procedures while also gaining practical safety skills.”
The Fall 2023 Community Police Academy saw 17 members of the campus community graduate. Throughout the program, the participants took part in an expansive curriculum that included crime scene investigation, fire safety training, traffic control, CPR basics and defensive tactics for self-protection.
“We have continued to evolve the curriculum of the Community Police Academy,” says Officer George Wazen, Community Police Academy Coordinator, “We hope to welcome another group that is excited to learn more about DPS and have fun while doing it.”
For the Spring 2024 semester, the program will run for four consecutive Wednesdays starting on Feb. 14, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Lyman Hall. Dinner will be provided all four weeks. To learn more and apply, visit dps.syr.edu.