A group of students of color at Syracuse University have worked with the Department of Public Safety over the past few months to offer their input about safety and policing on campus. 

SU announced nominations for the Student of Color Advisory Committee in March. The committee took shape a month after DPS’ handling of an assault of three students of color sparked criticism about the department’s communication and transparency.

Committee members told The Daily Orange they hope to improve communication and trust between students of color and DPS.

“I want DPS officers to be even more open-minded about taking criticism from students,” said Kate Abogado, a senior policy studies and information management and technology major. “Because ultimately, that’s who they’re serving.”

Abogado serves as co-chair of the committee alongside DPS Chief Bobby Maldonado. Students on the committee act as an advisory body to weigh in on issues and give criticism to DPS, Abogado said. The committee doesn’t have power over DPS policy. 

The committee, comprised of more than a dozen students, met before the end of the spring 2019 semester and spoke over conference calls during the summer. A date has not been set for the committee’s next meeting, but members said it will happen soon. 

In the meetings held so far, students have told Maldonado about different situations students of color face on campus. One issue the committee has already discussed is whether DPS should include race in campus-wide emails about crime. 

When DPS sent an alert about the Ackerman Avenue assault in February, it did not mention the race of the suspect, who was white, or the races of the student victims, who were black and Latino. At the time, some students criticized DPS for not specifying that students of color were attacked. A statement circulated around SU’s student body emphasizing that point.

 

Savannah Taylor said she’s hopeful that, with improved communication, the committee can make meaningful changes. Corey Henry | Photo Editor

Some members of the committee want DPS to include race descriptions in reports because they think it will disprove stereotypes that people of color are more likely to commit crimes, said Natalia Rice, a committee member and senior sociology and English dual major. Other members said that adding race characteristics could lead people to make assumptions based on race, she added.

Savannah Taylor, a senior African-American studies major, said communications like DPS crime alerts are directly related to the safety of students of color. Taylor is the president of SU’s chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a historically black sorority.

“Say they wrongfully report someone or they go based off bias,” Taylor said. “That creates mass hysteria, and people start judging people based on how they look or how that crime report was worded.”

Kennedy Hagens, a committee member, said students have also discussed whether there are enough safe spaces for students of color. Another topic discussed is the difference between how safe white students and students of color feels when interacting with DPS officers. 

“We don’t see this committee as the solution to race issues or the racially-charged campus we have right now,” Hagens said. “But we hope that students will see us as a liaison between students and DPS relations, and that students feel comfortable coming to us with any concerns.”

Committee members told The Daily Orange that Maldonado has been receptive to their concerns. In an email to The D.O., Maldonado said his goals are to identify areas of concerns relating to student safety and to find solutions to them. He also wants to improve DPS’ relationship with students. 

Several committee members said there is a disparity in how DPS shuts down certain parties. SU’s chapters of the National Pan-Hellenic Council — a group of nine historically black Greek organizations known as the “Divine Nine” — don’t have chapter houses. Taylor said this leads many black students to party on SU’s South Campus, where DPS has jurisdiction to shut down parties.

“It’s like before the party even starts we’re getting shut down or we’re not given a chance to thrive,” Taylor said. “We know there are situations closer to campus where they don’t get shut down or they don’t get the attention that we get.”

Taylor has seen the “hyper-policing” of black parties as president of her sorority chapter, she said. She added that similar situations occur when organizations like the African Student Union and the Caribbean Students Association host events or parties. 

Beruk Teshome, a committee member and junior drama major, echoed Taylor’s perception of DPS shutting down parties. 

“It’s always the black frats’ or Latino frats’ parties getting shut down immediately for really no reason or minor things,” he said.

Concerns from students of color about “feeling shut off and closed off” from DPS and university administration have lingered for years, Taylor said. Alumni of color who attended SU in the 1970s and 1980s describe a social climate similar to the one SU has today, she said. 

Taylor said she’s hopeful that, through improved communication, the advisory committee can make meaningful changes with DPS. Students of color should expect to be treated with care and not bias when they are in a “tricky” situation, she said. 

Abogado said the committee may have trouble legitimizing itself with students of color, mainly because it doesn’t have power over DPS policy. The effect the committee can have on DPS and on campus is hard to turn into numerical data, she said. She wants to create a survey at the end of the semester to gauge student satisfaction with DPS and how safe students of color feel on campus.

“I’m a firm believer that through communication and dialogue, that’s the biggest way that things get changed,” Taylor said. “When you’re able to talk about things, that’s when issues get brought to light.”

Published on September 4, 2019 at 11:37 pm

Contact Richard: rjchang@syr.edu | @RichardJChang1