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Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety confirmed in a statement to The Daily Orange that it will continue to have an “elevated presence on campus as the new semester gets underway.”

DPS initially decided to deploy additional personnel in the fall 2023 semester following an “uptick of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents” at universities across the country, the department wrote. Along with maintaining the increased security measures, DPS is also working on establishing a new satellite office near campus.

DPS told The D.O. that while there have been no “credible threats of physical harm to the campus community,” it will continue to work with federal law enforcement to closely monitor campus activity.

Addressing on-campus protests

Following several student demonstrations on campus during the fall semester, DPS confirmed it plans to continue deploying personnel to these protests.

“During student protests, there are Student Experience team members as well as DPS staff present to monitor and maintain a safe environment, including the safety of those engaging in peaceful protest,” DPS wrote.

DPS also told The D.O. that the university supports students’ right to protests as long as they adhere to university policy. The agency added that it wants to foster a “safe space to advocate for issues important to them while also respecting the rights of others.”

“Students have the right to assemble in an orderly manner and engage in peaceful protest, demonstration, and picketing, which does not disrupt the functions of the University, threaten the health or safety of any person, or violate the Code of Student Conduct,” according to SU‘s Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

Around 200 protesters staged a walk-out on Nov. 9 as part of a national protest supporting Palestinians. The group — which marched from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, stopped at Crouse-Hinds Hall and then ended at the National Veterans Resource Center — called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and accused the university of being “complicit in genocide.”

Following the protest, Provost Gretchen Ritter and Senior Vice President Allen Groves sent a campus-wide email referencing the “reprehensible behavior” of one of the protest’s speakers, who they said called Jewish organizations “complicit in genocide.” Ritter and Groves said the comments were “based on their identity.”

At the event, a speaker did criticize the university for allowing a series of Jewish organizations, such as Hillel and Athletes for Israel, to host an event where they shipped medical and household supplies to Israel.

At a “study-in” held in the Schine Student Center at the end of the fall semester, students wore signs supporting Palestine while sitting in the building’s main atrium. At least one of the signs had the word “intifada” on it, which directly translates to “shaking off” in English but in many cases means “uprising.”

The Instagram account blackatcuse posted several videos from the interaction — alleging SU Vice President for the Student Engagement Rob Hradsky engaged in “physical intimidation” of the demonstrators. The account said Hradsky harassed the students without providing a university policy prohibiting the demonstration.

The account criticized SU’s response to the students, which the account said included the deployment of armed DPS officers. The account then posted a petition, which gathered over 700 signatures, calling for an investigation into SU Associate Director of Facility Operations Rebecca Bruzdzinski and Hradsky.

“Mr. Hradsky responded disproportionately to the alleged violation of the Code of Conduct by bringing armed DPS officers to tell students peacefully studying in, to take down a sign. This disproportionate response created an ‘intimidating, hostile’ environment,” the petition reads.

Collaborations

DPS plans to work with several groups within the SU community to address safety concerns. In its statement to The D.O., DPS highlighted its collaboration with the Student of Color Advisory Committee, which it is consulting in order to increase DPS’s community engagement.

DPS will also continue collaborating with federal law enforcement to continue monitoring potential threats on campus, stating that one of its detectives will serve as a liaison between SU and the FBI through the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. DPS also receives joint FBI and Department of Homeland Security intelligence bulletins, which DPS described as a strategy “to maintain situational awareness” among its personnel.

DPS is also seeking applications from community members for its police academy: a four-week-long program that teaches participants about “DPS programs, policies and procedures,” according to its website.

New satellite office

DPS wrote that it is in the process of establishing a new satellite office close to campus, which will be located on the corner of Marshall Street and South Crouse Avenue.

“This location will allow DPS to increase visibility and engagement with our campus community in a high traffic area,” the department wrote.

Published on January 17, 2024 at 11:41 pm

Contact Julia: jmboehni@syr.edu