Public Safety Notices 2023

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, offices, cubicle spaces and belongings.

For those of you who live and work 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 look 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 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 restful winter break.

On Friday, November 17, 2023, at approximately 11:13 a.m., The Department of Public Safety (DPS) responded to a report of a person possessing a firearm near a bus stop on Waverly Avenue. The suspect was said to have shown the weapon to a group they were with in a non-menacing manner.

Upon arrival, DPS and the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) began a search as the suspect had fled on foot toward Irving Avenue, where they were eventually detained without further incident. Once in custody, officers searched the suspect for a weapon with negative results. Officers conducted a search around the path the suspect took and quickly recovered a firearm that had been discarded into the bushes.

The suspect has been identified as a non-affiliate of Syracuse University and is currently in custody of SPD.

If you were in the vicinity at the time of this incident and have additional information to share, please contact SPD at 315.442.5222 or DPS at 315.443.2224. If you would like to anonymously report NON-EMERGENCY information for DPS, you can use the Silent Witness tool.

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

With the holiday break quickly approaching, the Department of Public Safety is reminding the University community to take necessary action to protect your residences, offices, cubicle spaces and belongings.

For those of you who live and work 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 look 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.

While many members of our community will be traveling during the break, many will remain here on campus. As a reminder, the Department of Public Safety is always working and available to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you observe anything concerning. As always, our recommended safety strategies can be found on our website.

Wishing you a safe, happy and restful holiday.

In response to recent incidents that occurred in off-campus neighborhoods, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) are urging the Syracuse University and surrounding communities to be aware of their surroundings and take actions necessary to keep themselves and their property safe. In addition to encouraging vigilance among our community, DPS has increased its presence and patrols in the affected areas, as well as in other adjacent neighborhoods.

The recent incidents, all of which involved students, include three assaults, two robberies, and an occupied burglary, respectively, and occurred in the following areas:

• Assault on Friday, November 3, near the 100 block of Stratford St., around 4:30 p.m.
• Occupied burglary on Sunday, November 5, near the 700 block of Ostrom Ave., around 12:40 a.m.
• Assault on Sunday, November 5, near the 700 block of Ostrom Ave., around 2:00 a.m.
• Assault on Monday, November 6, near the 100 block of Stratford St., around 4:30 p.m.
• Robbery on Monday, November 6, near the 1000 block of Comstock Ave., around 10:10 p.m.
• Robbery on Monday, November 6, near the 400 block of Stratford St., around 10:30 p.m.

At this time, it is unclear if the incidents are connected. If you were in the vicinity at the time and witnessed any of these incidents, please contact SPD at 315.442.5222 or DPS at 315.443.2224. If you would like to anonymously report NON-EMERGENCY information for DPS, you can use the Silent Witness tool.

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

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) are investigating two off-campus robberies involving Syracuse University students that occurred within the past 24 hours. The incidents occurred at the intersection of Stratford Street and Lancaster Avenue and the intersection of Marshall Street and Walnut Avenue.

The incidents were reported to have occurred between the hours of 10 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 28 and 2:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 29. Though it’s early in the investigation, the incidents are believed to be connected based on the suspect description and the make and model of the vehicle. The suspects in both incidents are described as three to four males driving a black four-door sedan. The suspects assaulted the victims before stealing items of value and fleeing the scene; one student sustained injuries. Syracuse University is providing services to impacted students.

SPD will be leading the investigation, with the support of DPS officers. If you were in the vicinity at the time and witnessed either incident, please contact SPD at 315.442.5222 or DPS at 315.443.2224. If you would like to anonymously report NON-EMERGENCY information for DPS, you can use the Silent Witness tool.

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