Law enforcementSyracuse University, city police to join forces to make area safer

The Syracuse Police Department (SPD) has agreed to join forces with Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) to increase the police presence on university ground and the surrounding communities.

The agreement to team-up comes on the heels of increased criminal activity at the Marshal Street section of campus as well as a stabbing last week at the university’s annual Orange Madness event, celebrating the start of the basketball team’s season.

Syracuse Post-Standard reports that according to Tony Callisto, the chief of public safety at the university, extra officers from both departments will walk the streets together on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Vehicles patrolling the areas will include one officer from each department.

“We want to ensure that everyone feels safe on and around our campus — students, faculty and staff, residents and visitors,” Callisto told the Post-Standard. “The University Area Crime-control Team (UACT) will blanket the critical areas adjacent to campus and our strong presence will be visible not only to the community, but to potential perpetrators as well.”

The university will pay the overtime salaries for SPD officers working the new shift, although according to Callisto, it is unclear how much it will cost.

A SPD communications officer will monitor security cameras located around campus during UACT patrols in order to dispatch units to potentially dangerous situations faster. The university’s off-campus Orange Watch patrols will also expand from three officers on weekdays and five officers on weekends to five officers seven days a week.

The joint effort and activities will continue through Thanksgiving, when the program could be suspended until after spring break in mid-March 2013, but according to Callisto, it is too early to make any decisions.

“Syracuse University takes the safety and security of our campus community members, both on and off campus very seriously,” University chancellor and president Nancy Cantor said in a university news release. “This new, collaborative initiative will strengthen our partnership with local law enforcement and build on the wide range of enhanced safety and security measures that we have implemented in recent years combining increased patrols and technological advancements.”

The university has also changed its policies regarding events at the Carrier Dome. Now all events will require assigned seat tickets. Sales and distribution will be handled through Carrier Dome management and they are considering the use of metal detectors to ensure safety during events, Callisto told the Post-Standard.

Syracuse Chief of Police, Frank Fowler told the post-standard that the measures are part of a significant effort to deter crime on university grounds and in the surrounding communities.

“The Syracuse Police Department is committed to enhancing the quality of life, safety and security of our Syracuse University community,” Fowler said in the university release. “This will be accomplished through the delivery of a comprehensive and integrated safety and security program. By working closely with our partners at the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety and the entire University community, we strive to improve the quality of life of those we serve, so that together we can effectively address issues and concerns. It is our goal to maintain a secure environment, and to provide dedicated service for all persons living, working and visiting Syracuse University.”