DPS News

Quick Tips for Safety On Campus

Here’s a rundown of quick tips and additional information about the Department of Public Safety (DPS), to help answer your questions and share resources that can help keep you safe.

What should I do if I am in need of immediate safety?
– Contact DPS at 711 on a campus phone, #78 on your cell, or call 315-443-2224. In off campus areas call 911.

Why am I receiving public safety notices?
– Anytime a crime that poses on ongoing threat to safety happens on or immediately adjacent to campus, we send a notice to alert, not alarm, the campus community of any potential on-going neighborhood crime threats.

What is DPS doing to protect our safety?
– Public safety and security are DPS’ main priorities. We have increased night time patrolling and investigation supervision, increased walking escort capability, added officers to focus on prevention of serious crime, installed cameras near entrances and exits of all residence halls, parking garages, and other strategic campus locations, and enhanced the Orange Alert system. In addition, we often have more than 20 officers covering a two square mile area and more than 145 blue light emergency call boxes around campus.

What services are available if I am travelling late at night?
– Both Centro and Birnie Bus offer bus services, and taxis are always an option. Additional bus routes have been added to cover more off-campus housing locations. As a supplement to the bus services, theLate Night Safety Escort Shuttle operates Sunday through Wednesdays until 3:30 a.m. and overnight on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays until regular bus services start at 6:00 a.m. Take advantage of the free safety escort services by calling 315-443-SAFE (7233).

Does DPS patrol off-campus areas?
– Absolutely! The DPS Orange Watch unit patrols off-campus neighborhoods via walking, biking, and vehicle patrols on virtually every student rental area street every few minutes. The Neighborhood Safety Patrols, a joint DPS and Syracuse Police Department team, patrols in the immediate off-campus and fraternity/sorority neighborhoods focused on quality of life issues and student safety. The University Area Crime-Control Team (UACT), a joint DPS and Syracuse Police Department Team, patrols in the immediate off-campus and fraternity/sorority neighborhoods focused on robbery and burglary suppression.

Who else patrols with DPS?
– You will see officers from the Syracuse Police Department, SUNY-ESF, the VA Hospital, and SUNY Upstate Medical University patrolling the university hill area. You can always ask them for help!

How can I be safer on and off campus?
– Plan your study and activity around the bus schedules.
– Walk, bike or jog in groups of three or more, away from bushes, cars, and other objects a suspect could hide behind.
– Be aware of your surroundings: look and listen. Headphones and cell phones can create tunnel vision.
– Travel in well-lit and populated areas.
– Keep porch lights on at night.
– Don’t approach strangers or let them get close to you.
– If you think someone is following you, switch directions or cross the street. Go toward an open business or lighted house.
– Have your house or car keys in hand before you reach your door.
– Know where campus blue light alarms are and how to use them.
– If someone tries to rob you, don’t resist. Give up your property, not your life.
– If you are in a safe place to do so, attempt to get a description of the suspect(s) and any associated vehicles or license plate numbers.

What if I have ideas to improve services or increase safety on campus?
– Please call DPS at 315.443.2224 and ask to speak with one of the DPS crime prevention officers about personal safety. DPS is continually looking for ways to improve our services and would appreciate your suggestions.

2016 Summer Emergency Drill

On Monday, July 25, the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety, Fire and Life Services, Environmental Heath and Safety and Syracuse University Ambulance teamed up with the Syracuse Fire Department and American Medical Response for a HAZMAT drill at the Steam Station.

The mock scenario involved two individuals puncturing a 55-gallon drum of sulfuric acid while operating a forklift. A third individual witnessed the incident and immediately called the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety for assistance.

DPS Officers arrived at the Steam Plant and quickly secured a perimeter. Syracuse University Fire and Life Safety along with Environmental Health accessed the situation and provided more accurate information to the Syracuse Fire Department who was en route.

Once the Syracuse Fire Department arrived on the scene, due to the nature of the spill, as a precautionary matter, a 150 feet perimeter was set.

Dressed in HAZMAT suits, the Syracuse Fire Department rescued the two victims and put each individual through the decontamination process. Once the decontamination was complete, the victims were transferred to the care of the Syracuse University Ambulance and American Medical response for treatment.

Once the drill was complete, Chief Maldonado held a mock press conference with students from Newhouse as part of an assignment for their class.

 

 

Zika Virus Information

Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. Prior to 2015, Zika virus outbreaks have occurred in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. In May 2015, the first confirmed Zika virus infections were discovered in Brazil.  The Zika virus is transmitted through mosquito bites.  To prevent the Zika Virus, use insect repellents to prevent mosquito bites; this includes everyone (children, pregnant and nursing women). When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.  Use air conditioning or window/door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.

No locally transmitted Zika cases have been reported in the continental United States, but cases have been reported in returning travelers, and it has recently been predicted that Zika will eventually enter the United States.

It is important to note, that for most people, the Zika virus is relatively mild and not fatal.  The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache. The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) for Zika virus disease is not known, but is likely to be a few days to a week.

A correlation has identified potential birth defects to infants born to a mother with the Zika virus, specifically microcephaly (a small, underdeveloped brain) that leads to further complications.  In response, CDC has issued a travel alert (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. Pregnant women should strongly consider postponing travel to the tropical climates identified as those where the Zika virus is known to exist.
Though this has not become an issue for the Syracuse University community, we recommend if you have recently traveled abroad to one of the countries listed by the CDC and have any symptoms to follow up with a health professional or contact S.U. Health Services at (315) 443-9005.

Helpful Resources: 

Zika: The Basics of the Virus and How to Protect Against It

Zika Travel Information

Areas with Zika

A Letter from Chief Bobby Maldonado

Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Dear Students, Parents, Faculty, and Staff:

Yesterday morning, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) distributed information about two off campus incidents involving two Syracuse University students. As Chief of DPS and as the father of two Syracuse University students, my number one priority is and always will be the safety and well-being of all members of the Syracuse University community.

One crime is one too many. We have taken a series of comprehensive actions, and implemented a number of new initiatives over the past few years, to do everything we possibly can to reduce crime in the off-campus neighborhoods that border the University. The DPS is working closely with the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) regarding these incidents and has immediately increased patrols of areas around campus.

I am reaching out to you today to share important safety information, as well as to answer some of your more frequently asked questions. Those questions include:

Q. There were recently Public Safety Notices about robbery incidents and sexual assault offenses – is there a problem with crime on campus?
A. Timely warnings regarding crime on and immediately adjacent to campus are required by a federal law called “the Clery Act.” It is our practice to also issue these notices when a student is the victim of a crime that could pose a continuing threat in the neighborhoods near campus. We do this not to alarm, but to alert the campus community to any potential ongoing neighborhood crime threats. An open line of communication is critical to crime prevention.

Q. What precautions are taken to protect the campus community, particularly students who live on or around campus?
A. In the past two years we have:
• Increased night time DPS patrol and investigations supervision.
• Increased our walking escort capability.
• Added a late night safety escort shuttle until 3:30am on Sunday through Wednesday nights; and created an overnight student safety shuttle service on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays until regular bus services start at 6:00 a.m.

Q. Are your offices equipped to handle these incidents?
A. • DPS officers are sworn, police academy-trained, armed, campus peace officers with full powers of arrest.
• Coverage often includes more than 20 DPS peace officers on duty during peak student activity nights and hours.
• Several area law enforcement agencies provide patrol coverage. In addition to DPS officers and Syracuse Police Department (SPD) Officers, there are also police officers from SUNY ESF, the VA Hospital and the SUNY Upstate Medical University patrolling the university hill area.
• Our officers also have completely interoperable two-way radios that connect them to officers from the SPD and other area law enforcement officers. We are always connected and communicating to provide a safe, comfortable, and welcoming environment.
• During the day, among patrol officers, patrol supervisors, detectives and personnel from other agencies, there are often more than 20 officers covering a two square mile area.

Q. What about security in the residence halls?
A. • Every residence hall has assigned residential security aides who monitor access at night with direct radio contact to the DPS Emergency Communications Center.
• The staff of Residence Life work to educate the students about how to be safe on campus and in their residence (see the list below).

Q. What about off-campus, are those areas secure?
A.
• In addition to our on-campus presence, the DPS Orange Watch unit has added 40 percent more patrols to the off-campus neighborhood areas on Sunday through Wednesday nights during the academic year and 60 percent more patrols on Thursdays through Saturday nights.
• This results in walking, bicycle, or vehicle patrols on virtually every student rental area street every few minutes, a practice that has contributed to immediate arrests in incidents over the past few years and a reduction of about 33 percent in serious incidents in the immediate off campus areas.
• DPS is also working closely with our colleagues at the SPD and have a number of joint SPD/DPS teams in Neighborhood Safety Patrols in immediate off-campus and fraternity/sorority neighborhoods on Friday and Saturday nights. These marked patrols focus on quality of life issues and student safety.

Q. What is the level of crime in the SU area?
A. • Over the past two years, there has been a downward trend in serious crime in the university neighborhood areas.
• We have several 24-hour on-campus mobile, bicycle and walking patrols in the neighborhoods, minimizing the likelihood of serious incidents.
• In the past year, we added four SPD officers and four DPS officers focusing on prevention of serious crime via a joint patrol called the University Area Crime-Control Team (U-ACT).

Q. Do you have any other security tools besides patrols?
A. • Within the last academic year the University completed a fifth phase of a multi-year camera system installation that now includes the placement of nearly 1000 cameras at the entrances and exits of all residence halls, at parking garages, at other strategic on-campus locations, throughout South Campus and in and around the Carrier Dome.
• Additional cameras are now being installed in several walkways and pathways on and near campus.
• We’ve enhanced Orange Alert, our campus crisis notification system, with the installation of outdoor sirens on both North and South campuses.
• We have over 145 Blue Light emergency call boxes around campus.
• All of these technologies are monitored in our new state-of-the-art Emergency Communications Center.
• The campus transportation system has been enhanced with additional routes to cover more off campus housing locations. We have shuttles that stop throughout campus through both Centro and Birnie Bus and they are the primary means of safe transportation in the area.
• DPS offers a supplement to these services when bus service stops at 3:00 a.m. through both walking and riding safety escorts available by calling 443-SAFE.
• We continually work to educate our students about safety (see the list below).

Q. What can the campus community do to help?
A. We are continually looking for ways to improve our services and increase our effectiveness. If you have any suggestions or ideas to build on our efforts, we would be happy to hear from you. Please be assured that we take the safety of the campus community as seriously as our own.

We advise that the campus community take the following precautions at all times:
• Take advantage of the CENTRO and Birnie Bus bus services. Plan commutes to and from campus around the bus schedules when possible. Taxi services are also available.
• After dark, take advantage of the free safety escort services available through the Department of Public Safety. Both walking and shuttle services are available to students, staff, and faculty. Call 443-SAFE (7233) for more information about these services.
• Walk, bike or jog in groups of three or more, away from bushes, cars, and other objects a suspect could hide behind.
• Be aware of your surroundings: look and listen. Headphones and cell phones can create tunnel vision and block out surrounding sound. Be alert at all times.
• Travel in well-lit and populated areas.
• Keep porch lights on at night.
• Don’t approach strangers or let them get close to you.
• If you think someone is following you, switch directions or cross the street. Go toward an open business or lighted house.
• Have your house or car keys in hand before you reach your door. It is a good practice to carry your keys in your hand while traveling to your residence.
• Know where campus blue light alarms are and how to use them.
• If someone tries to rob you, don’t resist. Give up your property, not your life.
• If you are in a safe place to do so, attempt to get a description of the suspect(s) and any associated vehicles or license plate numbers.
• Be vigilant and report suspicious activity.

Also, please let me take this opportunity to encourage you to program the DPS phone number into your cell phone contacts (315.443.2224) and to download the LiveSafe App for Syracuse University. Information on how to download and sign up.

I am happy to talk with you, and encourage you to submit any feedback or questions you have to DPS directly using the Department’s Feedback Form.

Parents Office Interim Director Missy Mathis-Hanlon is also ready and available to assist parents of students in any way. Missy can be reached at 315.443.1200.

Again, your safety is my number one priority.

Chief Bobby Maldonado
Syracuse University
Department of Public Safety