One day after Syracuse University and the Department of Public Safety released new public safety developments, several Student Association leaders and presidential candidates said it was a good first step toward making DPS more transparent for the student body.

DPS published a map on Sunday that detailed its law enforcement jurisdiction and clarified what measures the department is able to take outside of its jurisdiction. SU also emailed a campus-wide survey to students Monday asking what they think about off-campus safety. The map came five weeks after students called on DPS to clarify its jurisdiction following the assault of three students of color on Ackerman Avenue.

More than 300 students attended a forum organized by Student Association and the Student African-American Society in February to discuss how the Department of Public Safety and Syracuse Police Department handled the assault of three students on Ackerman Avenue. Wasim Ahmad | Staff Photographer

SA condemned the university in February for not publicly referring to the assault as racially-motivated.

At a February forum, several students criticized DPS and SU for what they called a lack of transparency and communication. DPS Chief Bobby Maldonado said its jurisdiction extends only to university-owned and operated areas, and the rest of the city is handled by the Syracuse Police Department. The map, which was released Monday night, detailed DPS’ jurisdiction on and around SU’s Main Campus, South Campus, the Drumlins Country Club and several university-owned buildings in Syracuse.

“Both the map and the survey are two good steps in this journey to be more transparent with the student body,” SA President Ghufran Salih said. “I didn’t even know that DPS had a jurisdiction in Drumlins, so that was something that was really great to learn, and I wish I knew that earlier.”

Salih said she wants DPS to take input from the survey and analyze student responses to create change in the department. She met with Maldonado, SU Chief Law Enforcement Officer Tony Callisto and others on Friday as part of a Student Advisory Committee.

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SA presidential candidate Jalen Nash, who was present at Friday’s meeting, said DPS also discussed measures that were not released in the same manner as the map and survey. These include doubling the number of off-campus security cameras over the summer, tripling the capacity of late-night transportation in the future and developing a pilot program that would provide students walking escorts to off-campus neighborhoods.

Nash said the release of the map and survey was a “small step,” but DPS needs to communicate all of the advancements that they make. He added that DPS does a good job of protecting students.

“In terms of being transparent and accountable, based on conversations I’ve had with Bobby Maldonado and Tony Callisto and other people in DPS, I personally feel like they’re committed to what they’re doing,” Nash said. “So hopefully that’s reflected in tangible actions.”

Nash works as an assistant copy editor in The Daily Orange’s feature department.

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SA presidential candidate Mackenzie Mertikas and vice presidential candidate Sameeha Saied called the new developments a “good next step.” Still, they said it was a matter of DPS taking action based on feedback from the survey that was released.

“(The next steps are) collecting all that data, coming up with a good set of ideas that are tangible, (and) releasing that information to the student body,” Mertikas said.

She said DPS should have reached more students through email or social media to ensure that students know the map exists. It was difficult to find on the DPS website, she said.

“We think it is definitely a step in the right direction, but it all comes down to the action that’s taken as a result of it,” Saied said. “The survey is a great way to actually hear student voices on the matter, but if nothing is done with the responses, then there really is no progress.”

Three students of color were assaulted on Feb. 9 after a house party on Ackerman Avenue. The Syracuse Police Department has not issued updates on the assault investigation. Kai Nguyen | Staff Photographer

SA Academic Affairs Chair and presidential candidate Ryan Golden called for an audit of DPS in his campaign announcement. He said he remains skeptical of DPS’ transparency and that releasing the map does not answer questions that students have about how the department operates.

Golden said DPS constantly breaks up parties held by students of color and marginalized communities because “the university has no vested interest in holding white people and white fraternities accountable” when throwing parties.

At last month’s forum, Maldonado said parties hosted by white students were referred for noise complaints more often than parties hosted by students of color.

“They haven’t done nearly enough showing their jurisdiction and showing that they want us to tell them what’s wrong for like the fifth time in five years. (That) doesn’t solve anything,” Golden said. “The Department of Public Safety needs to overhaul how they treat students of color and they need to overhaul their training of officers.”

Golden’s vice presidential candidate, Kailee Vick, is director of SA’s relations with DPS. Vick did not attend Friday’s meeting, but she attended a DPS safety committee meeting on Monday, Vick said.

DISCLAIMER: Jalen Nash is an assistant copy editor in The Daily Orange’s feature department. He does not cover Student Association, report for or edit with The D.O.’s news staff.

Published on March 27, 2019 at 12:13 am

Contact Gabe: gkstern@syr.edu | @gabestern326