Nearly two weeks into the semester, students attending Syracuse University feel like they are in safe hands on campus.

‘Living in the dorms, I feel very safe,’ said Danielle Bastow, a junior management studies major. ‘There are definitely places I wouldn’t walk alone (on campus) and some places you just can’t go, but I feel safe.’

Ensuring that students like Bastow continue to feel safe is the responsibility of the Department of Public Safety. Recent restructuring within the department aims to develop a closer relationship between DPS and the campus community.

‘The changes were made to refocus all of our efforts toward the community policing mission,’ said DPS Chief Tony Callisto.

The goal of the new Public Safety program, Callisto said, is three-fold, including building relationships with the university community, its neighbors and using that relationship to increase levels of safety by working together and using problem solving within the various units.

The plans for these changes were already in the works prior to the Virginia Tech shooting in April, but Callisto said the incident reinforced the need. The changes came after a year of review of the former four-division department.

‘After the review, we came up with a more responsive structure,’ Callisto said.

DPS is now arranged in two sections: the Community Policing Division, supervised by Mike Rathbun, and the Administrative, Technical and Support Services Division, supervised by Donna Adams.

Callisto said the new streamlined department seems to be working well, but adjustments will be made as needed.

‘The structure of the organization is fluid,’ he said. ‘As we see needs in the community, we will make changes as necessary. The key is remaining flexible, remaining mobile and working with the students, faculty and staff.’

The real focus is on community policing. Rathbun, assistant director of community policing, said he believes he can expedite things quicker under the new organizational arrangement.

‘Anytime you flatten the structure, you have more accountability,’ Rathbun said. ‘Before, people didn’t know who they answered to.’

Rathbun said he has already noticed a difference even in the daily routine sweeps on campus.

The most important part of the program is the relationship building, Callisto said. This will help the department to be more effective in preventing crimes.

‘The patrol officers spend a portion of their shift stopping and getting out of their cars and talking to the students,’ he said. ‘Relationship building is the most important part of being more effective in preventing crimes.’

The department also recently purchased new vehicles to support Orange Watch. Launched on May 2, the program places additional DPS peace officers on patrols from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. to reach out to the community around campus.

Six vehicles were purchased with Orange Watch funding for $33,000 each, Callisto said. The cost includes equipping the vehicles with two-way radios, mounted cameras, lights and sirens. Three of the vehicles are Ford Escape Hybrids, he said.

Despite not knowing about Orange Watch, College of Arts and Sciences junior Nina Page said she has noticed the vehicles around campus.

‘I always see DPS cars around,’ Page said, ‘especially at night.’

She added that she feels safe on campus but avoids doing things that could cause her trouble.

‘I wouldn’t go walking by myself at two in the morning,’ she said. ‘I feel safe because I don’t put myself in those kinds of situations.’

Junior Bastow said she hadn’t heard of Orange Watch, either.

‘Sometimes you don’t care until it is too late,’ Bastow said. ‘It is important to get the information out there early on, especially for the freshmen.’

Published on September 4, 2007 at 12:00 pm