The Department of Public Safety has been the subject of criticism from #NotAgainSU, a movement led by Black students that’s protesting hate incidents at or near Syracuse University.

#NotAgainSU organizers, currently occupying Crouse-Hinds Hall, call for the resignations of DPS Chief Bobby Maldonado and Associate Chief John Sardino. Protesters also demand the department’s officers be unarmed.

SU will not disarm officers, university officials said during a negotiation meeting with organizers Tuesday.

As negotiations between #NotAgainSU and SU administration continue, here’s a primer on how DPS operates and why officers are armed:

Who is a part of the Department of Public Safety?

DPS is a group of sworn public safety officers and community services officers who act as SU’s safety and security organization. While the department works alongside the Syracuse Police Department to enforce state and city law, certain personnel in the organization focus specifically on upholding SU’s mission.

DPS employs public safety officers, community services officers and residential community safety officers. Each has different levels of training.

Residential community safety officers are licensed security officers who are stationed at the entrances of SUs residential buildings to validate the IDs of every person entering the building.

Community services officers are not licensed police officers but remain in different places on campus to patrol the surrounding community.

Public safety officers are trained, armed and sworn peace officers who have the authority to make arrests and conduct investigations.

Why are DPS officers armed?

Since New York state granted DPS peace officer status in 2004, guns have become a part of DPS’ arsenal. Each of the department’s full-time peace officers is armed and authorized to use firearms such as handguns and shotguns.

The department swore in its first armed peace officers in 2005.

DPS peace officers need to meet the same minimum training requirements as SPD officers, according to the memorandum of understanding that SPD and DPS formalized in 2003.

Long guns, which are assigned to officers who work in DPS vehicles, are locked in place inside the vehicle when not in use. In 2016, the department lost four shotguns after they fell out of a DPS truck following a training exercise.

Maldonado said at the time that the department reviewed relevant protocols to ensure the firearms transportation and storage procedures and practices are “as strong and comprehensive as possible.”

Nearly 75% of campus police officers across the country are authorized to carry a firearm, according to a 2015 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

What training do DPS officers complete?

DPS has an agreement with SPD to regulate shared operating procedures and guidelines. The Syracuse police chief grants peace officer powers for SU’s DPS officers, including the right to carry a gun.

Every DPS public safety officer is mandated to successfully complete a state course for campus peace officers, which includes 19 weeks of academy training, said Christine Weber, public information and internal communications officer, in a statement.

DPS officers complete over 80 hours of firearms training. Each year, campus peace officers must complete at least 16 hours of annual firearms training to continue to carry, and prove proficiency through a live-fire qualification round, Weber said.

The department’s officers also receive classroom training on use of force laws, response to active shooter incidents, and practical training on responding to felony crimes in progress.

The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, a professional organization of campus security and law enforcement professionals, has accredited DPS.

What is community policing?

Community policing is a philosophy that calls for law enforcement and the community to work together to solve crime, address underlying community problems and improve neighborhood living conditions.

DPS lists face-to-face contact with the public and community input as key elements of its community policing model in the department’s duty manual. The department asks its officers to be known, familiar and visible to the community.

The DPS safety committee consists of Student Association representatives, as well as staff from DPS and Parking and Transit Services. The group meets on a monthly basis during the academic year to address issues relating to university health, safety and security.

Chancellor Kent Syverud nominated students for a Student of Color Advisory Committee last March to gather recommendations and feedback on DPS actions relating to students of color. The committee formed in response to criticism of DPS’ transparency following an assault of three students of color on Ackerman Avenue in 2019.

After a series of hate incidents occurred at and near SU’s campus last fall, members of the advisory committee said they continue to be frustrated with DPS’ protocols for transparency. At least 30 racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic incidents have occurred at or near SU since Nov. 7.

Members of the advisory committee are calling for DPS and Syverud to allow the committee greater oversight of department protocol instead of operating solely as a liaison between students of color and DPS.

What is the relationship between DPS and SU?

DPS officers enforce the policies and procedures of SU in addition to local, state and federal laws. Though the department has entered into an agreement with SPD, most of its records and policies are not publicly accessible.

The department provides information about crimes on campus in a daily crime log that stretches back 61 days. The log is published in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, a federal law requiring colleges and universities to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. The Department of Education enforces the act.

Former United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch will conduct an independent review of DPS in the near future, SU officials said in February. Administrators said during negotiations with #NotAgainSU organizers Wednesday that Lynch will incorporate the department’s sealed records and policies in her review.

In a February letter to Syverud, the union that represents DPS said the ongoing campus protests have made it difficult for DPS officers to maintain the department’s mission because SU has not allowed them to fully carry out their duties.

#NotAgainSU has occupied Crouse-Hinds Hall since Feb. 17. DPS officers have acted under orders from Syverud and senior SU administration throughout the protest, the union said.

“At no time did any DPS administrators or officer make any decisions for how to handle the protest,” the letter states.

DPS publishes an annual explanation of its internal affairs investigations and their outcomes but does not publicize the details of those cases. The department conducted eight internal affairs investigations in 2018. Two employees were suspended and one left the university, the report shows.

Published on March 4, 2020 at 10:09 pm

Contact Michael: msessa@syr.edu | @MichaelSessa3