Spring Break
The Daily OrangeDPS meeting draws low turnout
Open forum addresses South Campus safety concerns
By Michael Jiang
Posted: 4/10/08, 12:49 AM EST Section: News
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For students with concerns about DPS presence on South Campus, an open-forum discussion was held Wednesday night at the Goldstein Student Center to talk about living on South Campus and the role of DPS in serving residents.
Ten to 15 students attended the forum, and there were eight members from the Department of Public Safety. Several students also joined in the discussion when they saw it was taking place.
Members from both the DPS Student Advisory Committee and DPS expressed their frustration that so few students attended the event.
"It's a shame that more students aren't here," said Officer C.J. McCurty, manager of South Campus Crime Prevention. "More students need to get involved."
While the student turnout was small, it didn't take away from the topics at hand. The leadoff issue was the negative stereotypes and perceptions students may have about DPS. If these stereotypes exist, then "how quickly is someone going to go and call DPS (when there is a problem)?" asked Nneka Obiekwe, a sophomore in the College of Human Ecology and a member of the DPS Student Advisory Committee.
Many students on campus are wary of DPS because they are afraid they are going to get written up. This is a perception that needs to be dispelled, Obiekwe said. She said students shouldn't be afraid of the people who are there to protect them.
People have the perception that "things on South Campus are dealt with disproportionately," said McCurty.
"Perception isn't always reality," said Mike Rathbun, assistant director and assistant chief of community policing.
Out of 325 calls that DPS responded to, 14 reports were filed. On main campus, 72 of the 89 noise complaints resulted in reports being filed.
"DPS is not looking for parties to bust when we are patrolling campus," said Cpl. Kwamena Morris, the midnight shift supervisor. She stressed that when DPS is patrolling, they are looking to find suspicious people who are out to harm and victimize students.
"Nine out of 10 parties are busted because of a call from a neighbor, not us initiating," she said.
Another issue discussed is the matter of local Syracuse residents causing problems at South Campus parties and then leaving. South Campus is not a gated community so if there is an issue students need to call DPS and let them know what is going on, McCurty said.
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