DPS News

February 2024 Updates From the Department of Public Safety

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I can hardly believe we are nearing the midway point of the spring semester. As we head into spring break, all of us at the Department of Public Safety (DPS) would like to wish those of you departing campus safe travels. We look forward to welcoming you back and finishing the semester off strong!

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

  • Awareness of Threats Online
  • Community Police Academy Graduation
  • DPS Social Media
  • Employee of the Month – January 2024
  • Preparing Residences for Spring Break
  • Monthly Bias Update

Awareness of Threats Online

DPS has seen an increase in online crimes and scams. We would like to remind our campus community to be wary of any online activity that asks for personal information, payment, etc. Do not hesitate to contact us if you see or receive something suspicious.

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 Information Technology Services (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.

Community Police Academy Graduation

I am pleased to share that our fourth and largest Community Police Academy (CPA) officially wrapped up this week. This iteration of the CPA saw 33 members of our campus community graduate from the program. The CPA is an excellent way to continue to build trust with our community. It has given participants an idea of what it’s like to protect and serve at Syracuse University.

We have been happy to collaborate with and welcome guests from the Syracuse Police Department and Syracuse University Ambulance throughout the CPA. If you are interested in learning more, please visit our website.

DPS Social Media

Our DPS team is always looking for opportunities to engage with our campus community. I encourage all of you to follow us on social media to stay up to date on the exciting things we have planned. We are on Instagram, X, Facebook and LinkedIn. On top of that, you will be the first to know when we have upcoming events or important news to share.

Employee of the Month – January 2024

I am pleased to announce that Assistant Manager Brian O’Hara of Fire and Life Safety Services and Officer Simon Stikkel were selected as our January 2024 Employees of the Month!

O’Hara was honored for his role in providing lifesaving efforts to an individual who suffered a medical event during a Syracuse University men’s basketball game. Stikkel was also honored for his efforts in quickly recovering stolen DPS property. Congratulations to them both!

Preparing Residences for Spring Break

As many of you plan to depart campus for spring 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 recommended safety strategiesabout how to secure your spaces.

While many community members are heading elsewhere, some 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.

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 Bomb Threat Reported at Maxwell, Confirmed to be FALSE

Syracuse University Department of Public Safety (DPS) received FALSE report of a bomb threat at Maxwell Hall at 4 p.m. on Friday, February 16. We determined this report to be false following a quick response from DPS and Syracuse Police Department (SPD) and an urgent 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 reports we received last earlier this week. If you have any information, please contact DPS or local police. We recognize these incidents have sparked concerns among members of our community, as always, counseling services are available to students through the Barnes Center and to faculty and staff through Carebridge.

How DPS Communicates in the Event of an Imminent Threat to Public Safety

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Over the last 24 hours, our community has experienced two swatting incidents targeting Maxwell and Eggers Halls. Swatting is when an anonymous caller makes an intentionally false report of the presence of an active shooter to stoke fear among the targeted communities. They have increased in prevalence in recent years and often target schools, colleges and universities. I appreciate these calls can be traumatic for members of our community and can create fear and panic.

We take all these reports seriously and investigate fully. Despite both of these incidents being swatting calls, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) will maintain increased patrols at Maxwell and Eggers Halls. DPS is also in contact with the FBI and local law enforcement as the investigation into who made these calls continues.

Given these recent incidents, I wanted to write this afternoon to remind you about DPS protocols for responding to reported threats and how we communicate them to our community.

How we respond to reported threats

When we learn of claims of an active shooter situation that lack immediate credibility (no additional calls to 911, security footage showing no abnormal behavior, etc.) on campus, our DPS officers immediately respond to the report’s location where they work swiftly to confirm the veracity of the report. When responding to these reports, DPS officers will appear on the scene as they would in the event of a confirmed threat. For example, they will respond in significant numbers so you will likely observe multiple officers on foot and several patrol cars. The officers will respond, in many cases, with their weapons drawn as is standard law enforcement protocol. The officers will conduct a canvas of the scene and once the threat is discredited, it is then that DPS will communicate broadly with our campus community.

How we communicate about confirmed and discredited threats

In the event of a confirmed active shooter situation, you will receive immediate communications from DPS via the Orange Alert System. Orange Alert provides rapid notification and instructions to Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students, faculty and staff. Orange Alert will communicate what the threat is and what, if any, action community members should take to as a result. If you haven’t, I urge you to review our Run. Hide. Fight. video, which explains in detail how the University responds to active shooter threats. Review the video on the DPS website.

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.

Please note: There is a scheduled test of the Orange Alert system on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 1:55 p.m. More information regarding this test will be sent in an additional email.

Sign up for Orange Alerts 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,

Chief Craig A. Stone
Department of Public Safety
Student Experience Division

Public Safety Informational Notice: FALSE active shooter report called in to law enforcement, confirmed to be FALSE

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.

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