News

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I hope that you are having a safe and enjoyable summer thus far. While many of you are away from campus, we are busy preparing for the fall semester and are looking forward to having everyone back next month.

I’d like to provide a few important updates in this edition of the monthly Department of Public Safety (DPS) email. I will address:

• Daily Incident and Crime Log
• Peace Officer Academy Update
• Student of Color Advisory Committee
• Monthly Bias Update

Daily Incident and Crime Log

After collaborating with multiple campus partners, DPS has implemented an automated process for posting our incident data to our website. The daily incident and crime log and newly created incident map can be found on our website.

Peace Officer Academy Update

Our eight campus peace officer academy recruits just started their eighth week of instruction. Other than their morning wellness program, which most recently included introduction to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, much of their instruction has been in the classroom and has included topics such as the following:

• New York State laws,
• ethics and professionalism,
• essentials of response and investigative skills,
• crime prevention,
• criminal procedure,
• procedural justice, and
• domestic violence.

They still have much more to cover in the next 13 weeks, including hands-on scenarios and field-based training. To follow along, be sure to follow DPS on our Instagram account: @SyracuseDPS.

Student of Color Advisory Committee

We continue to seek nominations for the Student of Color Advisory Committee. This committee brings together students, DPS members and other campus community members to focus on public safety and quality-of-life matters and engage on safety and DPS intervention, among other topics. Nominations should be sent to nomination@syr.edu with a statement detailing the student’s interest in the committee and why the student would be a valuable member of the group. We ask that nominations be submitted by Friday, Aug. 5.

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.

I look forward to welcoming you back to campus next month.

Sincerely,

Chief Craig Stone
Department of Public Safety

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Given the senseless acts of violence our country continues to experience, I want to assure you that our main priority is, and always will be, the safety of our campus. The team at Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services is here for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The full extent of our services, resources and programming can be found on our website.

While fewer members of our community are on campus during the summer months, our team is using this time to conduct trainings and align our work with best practices in safety measures on college campuses.

I’d like to provide a few important updates in this edition of the monthly Department of Public Safety (DPS) email. I will address:

• New Peace Officer Academy
• Community Police Academy Update
• R.A.D. Classes Returning for Fall 2022
• Monthly Bias Update

New Peace Officer Academy

On Thursday, May 19, seven new recruits were sworn into the Syracuse University campus peace officer academy by Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile. Chief Cecile performed the swearing in of the academy recruits as an official welcome and endorsement of the joint law enforcement efforts in the University area, and to provide these campus peace officers with authority to enforce New York State law and local ordinances upon completion of their training. In addition to the seven recruits that will work for DPS upon completion, there is an additional recruit training to become a member of the public safety team at Ithaca College. He was sworn in by Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne on Thursday, May 12. I look forward to seeing the work these individuals will put in over the next 20 weeks and beyond.

Community Police Academy

Like I announced last month, we are in the beginning stages of planning to host an annual Community Police Academy during the Fall 2022 semester. Our team is already finalizing the curriculum for this program, and we have secured the following dates:

• Wednesday, Oct. 5
• Wednesday, Oct. 12
• Wednesday, Oct. 19
• Wednesday, Oct. 26

Each week, the class will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Lyman Hall. We are also planning a graduation ceremony at the end of the last session. As details continue to develop, I will share them with the campus community.

R.A.D. Classes Returning for Fall 2022

R.A.D., which stands for Rape Aggression Defense, is a nationally known self-defense program. The program uses realistic self-defense tactics and techniques for individuals who want to learn such techniques. The R.A.D. system is a comprehensive course that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance, and progressing on to the basics of hands-on defense training.

Join the Department of Public Safety for a women-only self-defense course on the following dates:

• Sunday, Sept. 18
• Sunday, Sept. 25
• Sunday, Oct. 2
• Sunday, Oct. 9

To learn more and register, visit the DPS website at dps.syr.edu.

Monthly Bias Update

At this time, I have no new updates to share. However, if we do have additional updates, we will update the chart on our website and share any developments in this monthly email.

As a reminder, 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 or the Rave Guardian mobile app. In addition, to report a bias incident or to receive support, visit the STOP Bias website.

I wish you all a safe and productive summer. I look forward to providing additional updates in the months ahead.

Chief Craig Stone
Department of Public Safety

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I recently concluded my first month as a member of the Syracuse University community. I have enjoyed my time meeting with so many of you, including the Graduate Student Organization, Student Association, University Senate and Resident Association Advisory Board just to name a few, and look forward to connecting with even more of you.

I have also been spending one-on-one time with the dedicated team members in Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services to learn about our unit and the work each individual performs on a daily basis. This is a terrific team and I’m honored to be a part of it.

Additionally, I have already identified several goals for the Department of Public Safety (DPS). They include:

• continuing to work with and enhance our relationships with our internal and external partners to keep the campus community safe;
• creating and maintaining an environment in which all members of our campus community are safe, feel safe, and feel appreciated and welcome;
• increasing our proactive efforts in formal programs and informal interactions with our students through education and crime prevention efforts; and
• continuously assessing and evaluating our efforts by seeking advanced accreditation.

Now that I’ve shared some early observations and goals, I’d like to provide a few important updates in this edition of the monthly DPS email. I will address:

• Securing Your Residence
• Student of Color Advisory Committee
• Community Police Academy
• Monthly Bias Update

Securing Your Residence

We have experienced multiple burglaries in off-campus neighborhoods in recent weeks. Unfortunately, in every incident, no forced entry has occurred. The perpetrators are entering through unlocked doors and windows and taking advantage of what they perceive as easy targets. I’d like to remind you of some steps you can take to keep yourself and your property safe.

• Lock your doors and windows, even if you are going to be away for just a short period of time.
• Hide or lock up your valuables; do not leave them where criminals can easily see them.
• Remind your roommates to take the same action.
• Remain vigilant.

For more safety tips, visit the Safety Strategies webpage.

Student of Color Advisory Committee

The nomination period for the Student of Color Advisory Committee just concluded. I look forward to reviewing the nominations and working to reestablish this important committee in the coming weeks.

Community Police Academy

We are in the beginning stages of planning to host an annual Community Police Academy during the Fall 2022 semester. The goal of this program is to assist with building better relationships with our community by giving them a deeper insight into the work of DPS. I look forward to sharing additional details in forthcoming emails.

Monthly Bias Update

April 1: Report of an individual shouting hateful language that is derogatory and offensive to the LGBTQ+ community.

Update: Our team conducted interviews with the reporting party and individuals in the area, and performed an extensive review of the available camera footage. We continue to look for additional leads and urge anyone with information to come forward.

April 9: An individual in a moving vehicle shouted anti-LGBTQ+ language.

Update: Our team completed multiple canvasses of the area, conducted interviews with the reporting party and individuals in the area and performed an extensive review of the available camera footage. We are working to identify additional leads.

If we do have additional updates, we will update the chart on our website and share any developments in this monthly email.

As a reminder, 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 or the Rave Guardian mobile app. In addition, to report a bias incident or to receive support, visit the Stop Bias website.

With classes ending this week and finals starting, I wish you all good luck. Finish the semester strong and enjoy your time this summer.

Finally, to the Class of 2022, though these last few years have been a challenge with the pandemic, you have persevered. I wish you all the best as you take on new challenges and opportunities in the future!

Sincerely,

Chief Craig Stone
Department of Public Safety