DPS News

March 2020 Monthly Bias Incident Report

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I hope this email finds you and your loved ones well and staying healthy during these challenging times. Despite the recent reduction in some of our services at the Department of Public Safety (DPS), our emergency communications center is fully operational and officers continue to patrol the campus 24/7. If you are on campus, these officers are available to assist you in the event of an emergency situation. To contact DPS, call us at 315.443.2224 or connect with us via the LiveSafe app.

I want to update you on investigations related to the bias incidents reports that are posted on our website. As a reminder, we made a commitment to post incidents of hate speech and actions and other bias-related incidents to our website within 48 hours. However, to prevent jeopardizing active investigations, there may be instances where it takes longer than 48 hours to post. In order to track the investigative status of all incidents, we have created a table that is posted on the website. There, anyone may review an incident, when and where it occurred, details of the incident, and the status of the investigation.

We continue to actively investigate the bias incidents that have occurred on our campus. A reward remains available, thanks to the generosity of a concerned donor, for those who provide information that leads to the identification of responsible individuals.

Finally, as a reminder, you can subscribe to the bias incident page to receive a notification when a new incident is posted. To do so, visit dps.syr.edu/public-information/bias-incident-reports. There, you can submit the email address to which you’d like the reports sent.

Sincerely,

Chief Bobby Maldonado

DPS to Reduce Services Effective Immediately

With growing concerns over the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), effective immediately, the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety (DPS) is taking additional steps recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the New York State Department of Health to promote social distancing and to reduce in-person contact. This will mean the reduction of some services, and modifications to some of our standard operating procedures.

  • Our emergency communications center is still fully operational and officers will continue to patrol the campus 24/7 and be available to assist you in the event of an emergency situation. If you need DPS, call us at 315.443.2224 or connect with us via the LiveSafe app.
  • For non-criminal or not in progress complaints, officers may first contact you by phone to provide assistance or take reports.
  • Instead of visiting our offices in Sims Hall to obtain services or file a report, many requests can be completed via a form on our website. However, if you do need to visit DPS, please follow the instructions posted inside at the main entrance on how to proceed. If an officer needs to meet with you in-person, they may ask you to step outside, which is consistent with CDC recommendations to increase social distancing.
  • Certain non-essential service needs like fingerprinting for noncriminal administrative needs have been suspended at this time.

Please visit the CDC’s website for additional health precautions. For Syracuse University-specific updates and information can be found at syracuse.edu/coronavirus.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding during this unprecedented and challenging time.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Coronavirus

The first case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in New York state and the second death in the United States caused by the virus were recently confirmed. These developments, combined with news over the weekend of the pace at which the virus is spreading, have understandably been cause for concern among members of the Syracuse University community and the greater Central New York region.

To learn more about the virus, please review our frequently asked questions.

Public Safety Update: Robbery at Huntington Hall

On Monday, January 27, 2020, at approximately 7:15 p.m., a student contacted the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to report a robbery. The student says the incident happened at 6:30 p.m., when the suspect – an unknown male – approached the student asking to borrow money because his car ran out of gas. As the student opened their wallet, the suspect grabbed it, took cash and discarded the wallet on the ground. The suspect then fled out of Huntington Hall and headed north on University Avenue and then west on Marshall Street.

The suspect is described as a male, approximately 5’10 wearing a black Verizon jacket and blue jeans.

If you were in the vicinity at the time and witnessed the incident, please contact the Syracuse Police Department at 315.442.5222 or the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety at 315.443.2224. If you would like to anonymously report NON-EMERGENCY information for DPS, you can use the Silent Witness tool.

If you or someone you know has been affected by an incident on or near campus, please know that there are resources available to you. In addition, for your safety, please review these suggested safety strategies.

This public safety information is issued for your safety in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act.

Public Safety Notice: Robbery

On Monday, January 27th, 2020 at approximately 6:30 p.m., DPS received a report of a robbery that occurred at Huntington Hall. The Syracuse Police Department and the Department of Public Safety are on the scene and investigating this incident. We ask that you stay away from the area, at this time and that you call DPS at 315.443.2224, should you have information regarding this incident. More information to follow.