Safety Strategies

If you live in a Residence Hall:

• Always make sure your door is locked when you leave – even it’s just for a few minutes. Make an agreement with your roommates that you will all lock the door as you leave your apartment, room,or suite.
• Also make sure the door is locked when you’re inside your apartment, especially if you’ll be upstairs, in another room, or sleeping. Many times, a thief will enter an unlocked residence to find that he/she has free reign on the bottom floor or in the entry room, because all of its residents are elsewhere or asleep.
• Place valuable items out of sight, and preferably in locked areas. A laptop, a game console, or an iPhone are easy targets for potential thieves.
• Determine who is on the other side of the door before opening it. If the person claims to be from a repair service or utility company, ask them to provide company ID, or confirm that they’re scheduled to work in your room with your Resident Advisor or Associate Residence Director.
• Consider buying a laptop cable to secure your computer to your desk. There are laptop cables available at Bird Library for your use – just ask the service desk, and you can borrow one for a few hours.
• Never leave your belongings unlocked and unattended. Unattended, unsecured property (like cell phones, wallets and laptops left on tables as their owners are elsewhere) accounts for most of the larcenies on Syracuse University’s campus.
• Use a locker when you go to the gym.

If you live on South Campus:

• In addition to our basic safety guidelines, if you choose to live on South Campus, there are a few additional actions you can take to ensure the safety of yourself, your residence, and your possessions.
• As always, make sure your door is locked when you leave – even it’s just for a few minutes. But also make sure the door is locked when you’re inside your apartment, especially if you’ll be upstairs or sleeping. A thief may enter an unlocked residence to find that he/she has free reign on the bottom floor of the house, because all of its residents are on the second floor.
• Be sure all outdoor lighting features on your apartment are working. If they malfunction, notify FixIT right away.
• Place valuable items out of sight and preferably in locked areas. A laptop, a PS3, or an iPhone are easy targets for potential theives. This is an essential action to take before you leave for break.
• Determine who is on the other side of the door before opening it.

In addition to our basic safety guidelines, if you choose to live off-campus, there are a few additional actions you can take to ensure the safety of yourself, your residence, and your possessions.

• As always, make sure your door is locked when you leave – even it’s just for a few minutes. But also make sure the door is locked when you’re inside your apartment, especially if you’ll be upstairs or sleeping. Many times, a thief will enter an unlocked residence to find that he/she has free reign on the bottom floor of the house, because all of its residents are on the second floor.
• Be sure all outdoor lighting features on your apartment are working. If they malfunction, notify your landlord right away.
• Place valuable items out of sight and preferably in locked areas. A laptop, a PS5, or an iPhone are easy targets for potential theives.
• Determine who is on the other side of the door before opening it.
• Hang curtains or blinds on your windows to discourage window peepers.
• Report any suspicious activities to the Syracuse Police Department by calling 911.

Another helpful resource for students living off-campus is the Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services. Their website lists some additional safety guidelines, including:

• Be aware of your surroundings. Many crimes occur literally “under the nose” of people who just did not notice anything suspicious.
• Safety and security are everyone’s responsibility. You can reduce the possibility of becoming a crime statistic by being alert to your environment.
• Your safety and security ultimately depend on you as an individual for effectiveness and success. You must take responsibility for your own safety.
• Report non-working city street lights by calling 315.448.CITY. You will need the pole number, located approximately 7ft from the bottom of the pole.
• If you return home and find an open/broken window or door, do not enter! Go elsewhere to call the police. Do not clean a burglary scene before the police arrive.

Keeping yourself safe as you walk around campus can be as simple as turning off your music or waiting just a few more seconds at an intersection to let a car cross safely in front of you.

The Department of Public Safety would like to remind the University community of a few easy steps that everyone can take to ensure we all reach our destinations unharmed:

• Avoid wearing earbuds or headphones. Most of the time, you don’t even think about it: walking across the Quad or back home from class, you turn on your iPod and pop your earbuds in before you’ve even gone ten steps. But listening to music deprives you of some of your awareness of your surroundings. You may not be able to hear a car approaching or another pedestrian’s warning shout.
• A couple recent studies have drawn attention to the dangers associated with listening to headphones while walking around traffic:  From the University of Maryland, From Consumer Reports
• Wait for the walk signal! Don’t think you can make it across the street before a car can. Sometimes it can be hard to judge the speed of an oncoming car, and sometimes the driver is not paying as much attention as they should be. Solve all of these potential problems at once and wait for the green light.
• Be proactive: Wear light or reflective clothing during low-light situations. Stay out of the driver’s blind spot.
• Look both ways before crossing and cross at the crosswalk:  There’s a reason your parents drilled these rules into your brain at age two: they are the most basic and most essential rules of being a good pedestrian.
• Know how to contact us: If something should happen to you, or if you witness an accident on campus, call DPS right away at 315.443.2224. If there’s an emergency and you cannot make a phone call, text us at 711@syr.edu. Program both our phone number and text address into your phone. You can also use the LiveSafe app to report any incidents.

Have a concern related to pedestrian safety? Submit your concern via our pedestrian and bicycle safety request for action form.

Though these guidelines seem like common sense, following them can drastically increase your personal safety.

For additional information, check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or our Traffic on Campus Page.

Every day, thousands of motorists, including buses and construction vehicles, operate in the university community. Additionally, hundreds of bicycles, pedestrians, in-line skaters and skateboarders converge on campus.

In recent years, we’ve seen increased traffic and pedestrian congestion on campus, due in part to construction and road closings. Your awareness of your rights and responsibilities as a pedestrian, cyclist, or motorist is particularly important at this time.

• Drive at safe speeds on campus.
• Wear your seatbelt!
• Yield the right of way to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
• Be alert for people acting unpredictably and crossing at non-crosswalk locations.
• Pay particular attention when approaching buses unloading passengers; pedestrians often cross in front of the bus, particularly at a crosswalk.
• Travel in the street or on paths clearly marked as bike lanes. When you travel on a shared path, ride slowly, yielding the right of way to pedestrians.
• When traveling in hours of darkness, a head and tail light are required by law.
• Wear bright and/or reflective clothing, both day and night.
• Do not wear headphones! Even if the device is inactive or used in compliance with the law, headphones block sound. and increase your risk of missing an important sensory indicator of danger.
• Skateboarders, hoover-boards and scooters are regulated by New York State traffic laws and are not allowed on roadways.

Deterring Theft

Bike theft on campus occurs year-round. However, during the summer, fall, and spring, the rate of bicycle theft on campus increases dramatically. Our statistics indicate that criminals who steal bicycles from our campus target those that are NOT secured with a U-bolt lock. In response to the anticipated thefts, you can take proactive measures to reduce the chance that you will become a victim of bicycle theft. By correctly using a U-bolt lock, you will minimize the chance of your bike being stolen.

You can also register your bike with DPS, so a record of your bicycle is kept on file in the event of a theft!

How to Ride Safely

Here are a few of their frequently asked questions:

Bicyclists and in-line skaters must obey all traffic signals, signs, and pavement markings. Bicyclists and in-line skaters who violate the law are subject to traffic tickets. Parents can be held responsible for violations by their minor children. [Section 1230(a), NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law.]

Bicyclists and in-line skaters have the legal right to share the road on most public highways, but they are prohibited on interstate highways and expressways. In addition, authorities with jurisdiction over other controlled-access highways may prohibit bicycles.

The law requires that bicyclists ride and in-line skaters glide with traffic [Section 1234(a), NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law]. Bicycling and skating against traffic are leading causes of crashes. Moving with traffic makes bicyclists and in-line skaters more visible, and their movements more predictable to motorists. Riding or gliding with traffic also prevents interference with the flow of traffic and pedestrians.

If there is a usable bicycle or in-line skating lane, the bicyclist and in-line skater must use it [Section 1234(a), NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law]. If there is no lane or it is unusable due to parked cars or other hazards, the bicyclist may ride and the in-line skater may glide either on the right shoulder, or near the right edge or curb of the roadway. A bicyclist or an in-line skater may move further left to avoid hazards such as parked cars or debris, or to turn left but the bicyclist and in-line skater must avoid undue interference with other traffic.

A path is separate from the roadway, and a bicyclist or in-line skater may use either the path or the roadway. In some cases, a roadway may be safer than a nearby bicycle or in-line skating path, as well as more convenient.

Generally, bicyclists and in-line skaters should use the same through or turning lanes as motorists. However, a bicyclist or in-line skater may choose to dismount and use the pedestrian crosswalk, especially in heavy traffic. After crossing at an intersection, a bicyclist and in-line skater should move to a usable right-hand shoulder or to the right side of the right-hand lane.

The position a bicyclist and in-line skater takes in preparing for a turn is governed by the turning rules that apply to other traffic [see Section 1234(a) of the NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law]. A bicyclist and in-line skater should move to the center of the lane when preparing for either a right or left turn, to prevent a following motorist from sharing the lane. It can be very dangerous for a bicyclist or in-line skater to turn, while sharing a lane with a motorist.

If there is more than one left turn lane, use the one furthest to the right. After any left turn, move to the right as soon as it is safe to do so.

Yes, if you are under 14 years of age. Effective June 1, 1994, all bicyclists under the age of fourteen are required to wear approved bicycle helmets when they are operators or passengers on bicycles. Child passengers one through four years of age must wear approved bicycle helmets and ride in a specially designed child safety seat. Children under the age of one are prohibited from being transported on a bicycle. [Section 1238(5), NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law]

In-line skaters (effective 1996), non-motorized scooter riders (2002), and skateboard riders (2005) under the age of 14 are required to wear approved bicycle helmets. [Section 1238, NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law]

Alcohol-involved crashes kill over 11,000 people every year, accounting for fully one-third of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. The DWI problem is huge: according to the CDC, there are 147 million self-reported episodes of driving while impaired each year in the US.

The statistics are even bleaker among young people. College-aged students (21-24) are more likely to be involved in a fatal alcohol-related crash than any other age group.

The consequences of driving while intoxicated are incredibly serious: there are the obvious threats to your own personal safety and those of nearby drivers and pedestrians. There are financial consequences, and there are criminal consequences. Sentencing can range from payment of fines to 7 years in jail.

To reduce the occurrence of DWI, the CDC recommends enforcement of the existing alcohol laws, and advocates for policy changes (such as reducing the illegal BAC limit to 0.05%) to reduce the number of alcohol-related traffic casualties. But when you’re making weekend plans, you’re not likely to be thinking about policy debates, you’re worried about coordinating with friends and picking a bar or party to go to.

However, you can take into consideration some simple safety plans that keep you and your friends safe throughout the evening:

• Choose a designated driver before the alcohol starts flowing.
• Don’t let your friends drive impaired. Take their keys away.
• If you have been drinking, call a cab or get a ride home with a sober friend.
• If you are hosting a party, serve non-alcoholic drinks for designated drivers.

To prevent crime in your office environment:

• Form a committee within your office or department to regularly discuss safety and security issues.
• Control access to your area by accounting for keys and ensuring someone is at the entrance of your office space (receptionist, administrative staff) at all times.
• Keep a log for visitors.
• Consider installing an alarm system; ensure the system is tested on a regular schedule (weekly/monthly).
• Always secure windows and doors when the office is closed for business.
• During business hours, secure your valuables in a drawer, closet or locker. NEVER leave them unattended and/or unsecured, for any amount of time.
• Report all suspicious people or activities immediately to DPS at 315.443.2224.

To have a DPS officer speak with your office or department about office safety, fill out our Crime Prevention Workshop Request Form, and we will contact you within 24 hours.