The DPS enjoys an excellent working relationships with the Syracuse Police Department (SPD). Syracuse University is a private institution, but SPD officers routinely patrol the streets that intersect and are adjacent to the University. SPD officers do come on campus when required to investigate crimes, but they make every attempt to notify the DPS prior to doing so and are accompanied by DPS officers when on campus.
Additionally, DPS and SPD routinely engage in joint crime suppression patrols on and off campus through the University Area Crime-control Team.
DPS utilizes a communications system which is interoperable with all local and regional law enforcement agencies and shares incident reporting systems with those agencies. Annual trainings for the use of this system are held with the SPD and other law enforcement agencies.
DPS operates under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Syracuse
Police Department that outlines both agencies’ responsibilities for investigating alleged crimes and offenses in the University area. When a Syracuse University student is involved in an off-campus incident or offense, DPS officers may be asked to assist with the investigation, or they may conduct a parallel investigation in cooperation with local, state, or federal law enforcement.
As a result of the DPS investigation, a student found responsible for a University Code of Student Conduct violation may be referred to the University’s Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR), in addition to any criminal process initiated by any outside law enforcement agency.
The jurisdiction of DPS does not extend to buildings or property owned or controlled by student organizations, or to public property. Therefore, DPS’s role in investigating criminal activity at these locations is limited to sharing information, cooperating, and coordinating with the investigating local law enforcement agency. With this in mind, please read more about our patrolling in near-campus neighborhoods.