News

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.

Donation From Student’s Family Provides Electric Bikes to Department of Public Safety, Helps Boost Safety and Security on Campus

A generous donation made by a student’s family is helping strengthen the work of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to provide a safe and secure campus environment. The gift from Jay and Sandra Gelb, parents of College of Law students Matthew, Nicole and Robert, has allowed DPS to purchase two state-of-the-art electric bicycles, with a third expected to be purchased soon.

“Campus safety should be a priority. As parents we entrust that our most valuable asset—our children—is safeguarded while away from home,” says Jay Gelb. “It is so important to make sure that those protecting our loved ones have the best resources at their disposal.”

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

October 2022 Updates From the Department of Public Safety

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

What an exciting time to be a member of the Orange family! Between the success of many of our athletic programs, the historic Micron announcement and everything in between, it has been very rewarding being a part of this community.

As I do every month, I am writing to share some important updates from the Department of Public Safety (DPS), including:

  • Dating and Domestic Violence Awareness Month
  • Community Police Academy Graduation
  • Peace Officer Academy Graduation
  • Upcoming DPS Game Nights
  • Monthly Bias Update

Dating and Domestic Violence Awareness Month

As I met with members of our team upon arrival at Syracuse University, I was consistently impressed by their backgrounds and the work they do. As part of National Dating and Domestic Violence Awareness Month, our team highlighted one of our officers, Jessica Zaccari, who, before coming to DPS, worked at a victim’s advocacy center. If you have not had a chance to do so yet, I urge you to take a moment to read the article to learn more about her work and how DPS helps those who have been impacted by interpersonal violence.

Community Police Academy Graduation

Congratulations to the 18 members of our campus community who completed our very first Community Police Academy! This free four-week program, which took place throughout the month of October, is designed to give community members an idea of what it is like to be a member of the DPS team.

We are already hard at work preparing for our next iteration of the Community Police Academy slated for spring 2023 and will share more once the applications are open. To learn more about this program please visit dps.syr.edu.

Peace Officer Academy Graduation

Congratulations to the eight recruits from the DPS Peace Officer Academy who celebrated their graduation with families, friends and colleagues on Wednesday, Oct. 5. The ceremony, held at Drumlins Country Club, marked a milestone for these recruits as they complete the Campus Peace Officer Academy program.

These officers have since begun their time as field training officers, working side-by-side with veteran DPS officers before being released to solo patrol duties to serve the campus community. I wish them all the best and looking forward to them completing their training!

Upcoming DPS Game Nights

Throughout the semester, we have been holding game nights in the Schine Student Center and have enjoyed engaging with our students through this program. It’s nice to get to know each other while playing a game on a PlayStation 5 (PS5) or using an Oculus Quest. DPS is going to host a few more of these game nights as the semester winds down. For the remainder of the semester, you can find us in the Schine from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, Nov. 15
  • Tuesday, Nov. 29
  • Tuesday, Dec. 13

We welcome your suggestions on other events we can host that allow our officers and our community to engage in informal ways. Be sure to mark your calendar and follow us on social media for more information: @SyracuseDPS.

Monthly Bias Update

Oct.10: At a men’s soccer game on Friday, Oct. 7, an individual was overheard yelling “you should speak English” to our visitors with the opposing team. Upon receiving the report, DPS began an immediate investigation.

Update: Multiple interviews were conducted, and as a result the individual was identified as a Syracuse University student. The student has been referred to the Office of Community Standards.

Oct.18: The reported incident allegedly occurred on the fourth floor in Flint Hall. According to the report, a racial slur was written on a whiteboard hanging on the door of a student’s room.

Update: Our team has conducted a thorough canvass of the floor and reviewed video, but we have no leads at this time. If you, or anyone you know, witnessed this incident, we ask that you reach out to us right away.

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.

I wish you continued success as the second half of the semester progresses.

Sincerely,

Chief Craig A. Stone
Department of Public Safety