The Department of Public Safety plans to install 11 security cameras in the area surrounding Euclid Avenue.

The cameras are part of a series of new safety initiatives launched by DPS this year. Syracuse University has also expanded the DPS Walking Escort program and campus shuttle services. By spring 2020, DPS plans to employ 24-hour safety officers at residence halls.

Nine cameras are already installed in the Euclid area. DPS and Syracuse Police Department are working together to purchase the 11 new cameras which are expected to be up by mid-October, DPS Chief Bobby Maldonado told The Daily Orange.

The SPD will be responsible for monitoring the cameras and will work with DPS to patrol the area, SPD spokesperson Sgt. Matthew Malinowski said. The main purpose of the cameras will be to assist in ongoing investigations, he said.

“They’re not there to spy on people,” Malinowski said. “They’re there to solve crime and make sure if anyone’s a victim we’re able to solve it better.”

While there has been property crime reported in the Euclid area, Maldonado said it is not a place of major concern. The area is instead being focused on due to the large number of students who live there, he said.

“That surrounding area around Euclid, like Clarendon, areas like that are almost choke points to where students live,” Maldonado said. “If there was some sort of crime committed, we’d be able to observe more than we currently do.”

Jake Shiptenko, a senior film major and Euclid area resident, said the area feels like a safe place to live, but he welcomes the additional protection.

“I usually feel pretty safe,” Shiptenko said. “But if that kind of thing is a problem, I think it’s good that we’re getting the cameras.”

Along with the camera installations, DPS hired five safety escorts for its Walking Escort program. The hired escorts are stationed along Euclid Avenue and Marshall Street, as well as at Walnut Park. Escorts will be wearing bright orange jackets or vests.

DPS plans to hire 90 full-time residential community safety officers to be stationed at each residential hall for 24/7 security. Officers will check the identification of people entering the building and those who are signing in other guests. For emergencies, the officers will be connected to DPS through radio communication.

The extra residence hall security is expected to begin in spring 2020.

DPS also added two new shuttle vans to its safety shuttle service, an increase from one to three. SU also hired five additional drivers as part of the shuttle program, Maldonado said. Shuttles are available to pick students up and drop them off at places on and around campus. Students can ride the shuttle for free with their university ID.

The shuttle service is aimed at students who can’t access other transportation resources, Maldonado said. It would not be a suitable alternative for those looking to avoid riding the Centro bus or paying for an Uber, he said.

“There might be several thousand students out and about, but there are three shuttles, so when you do call a shuttle, unlike Uber, you’re going to have to wait,” Maldonado said.

The shuttle services are available seven days a week between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Safety escorts are available Thursday through Saturday between 10:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.

Published on September 22, 2019 at 10:36 pm

Contact Alex: ajrouhan@syr.edu