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Several leaders of Syracuse University’s Student Association confirmed its “student safety concerns” bill was first drafted in response to its ongoing work with administrators and not because of the three recent swatting attempts on campus.

SA President William Treloar said their work on this bill, which was first presented during its Feb. 12 meeting, predates the recent cases. He said student safety has consistently been one of his “top priorities” since becoming president of SA and he has been working with university administrators to address these concerns before the several false reports occurred.

“What we’re doing has always stayed the same and that is prioritizing student safety first, and making sure that students know that they should be safe wherever they are in the Syracuse area,” Treloar said.

He said one of the reasons students do not feel safe on campus is because of the “history of crime in different areas” and because of poor lighting, which he said can stem from “poor patrolling.”

If passed, SA would conduct a survey to understand what kind of paths students are taking to get home from campus every day, and from there, work with the university to ensure those paths are “well lit” and have increased DPS presence, Treloar said.

“Even if the overall crime rate is going down it doesn’t mean students feel any safer on campus, especially when there are robberies and muggings that are targeting students,” Treloar said.

SA Chair of Diversity and Inclusion Tim Wong said the bill “didn’t receive any opposition.” Wong, echoing Treloar, described the bill’s proximity to the recent false reports as a “complete coincidence.”

During its Feb. 12 meeting, Treloar cited recent incidents of crime on and around campus, such as break-in incidents and false active shooter reports. Because the issue of safety goes beyond SU’s campus, Wong said it is difficult to predict the timeline for the bill’s implementation.

While he is “optimistic” the assembly will pass the bill, Wong said he is unsure what SA’s next steps are after the assembly’s approval.

Treloar described the university’s collaboration with SA regarding student safety concerns as “incredibly positive.” While SA has not established a timeline to implement these safety provisions, he said it plans to bring the suggestions to administrators if it is passed.

Treloar said SA is hoping to pass the bill during its next meeting Monday. He said SA leaders will also continue to meet with campus administrations, such as SU Chancellor Kent Syverud, Vice President of Student Transition, Access and Inclusion Dawn Singleton and the Department of Public Safety.

“Passing this bill can really enhance our ability to do advocacy within the administration, because they’re able to say that, you know, this isn’t just two students looking at it. It is all of the students looking at it and getting that student’s report is absolutely crucial,” Treloar said.

Published on February 18, 2024 at 10:34 pm

Contact Claire: cksamsta@syr.edu