If a 6-foot-5, 250-pound Department of Public Safety corporal sporadically confronts you and asks in a thick Brooklyn accent, ‘Hey, how ya doin?’ don’t be alarmed, you haven’t done anything wrong. In fact, quite the opposite, you’ve just become Joe’s friend.

Joe Shanley, the corporal of community policing for the DPS, has tasked himself with greeting as much of the student body at Syracuse University as humanly possible. If they say ‘Hi’ back, even better. As a community officer, Joe has a special task within DPS to reach out to students in ways that most other officers don’t: On top of his regular DPS duties, Joe gets paid to make friends, a job at which he is exceedingly gifted at.

‘While many of the folks here do a great job of interacting with students and working toward building relationships, Joe has a real unique ability to really connect with students in ways that quite frankly are amazing,’ said Anthony Callisto, director and chief of public safety at SU.

With his third-year anniversary on campus approaching, Joe has certainly carved more than a niche for himself among the student body. Being a pal to SU students is what Joe does, and on a campus filled with almost 20,000 students, he just wants to be another familiar face.

‘That’s Joe, that’s his personality, that’s his makeup. He is that type of person, he is outgoing and friendly,’ said DPS Capt. Andy Mrozienski.

Joe was hired by DPS in 2007, and started one day after retiring from the Syracuse Police Department after 16 years, where he said he also took part in community policing. ‘I retired on Valentine’s Day, and I was here the next day,’ Joe said. ‘I thought it was a natural progression for me to pursue my goals and objectives in regards to becoming a more visible and recognizable role model to young adults.’

Stanley’s held a unique position within SPD as a member of a community outreach program. He would often visit the homes of local Syracuse residents where there might be trouble. Often Joe would network throughout the city by talking to families about the responsibility of parenting, building trust and rapport with various members of the community.

‘Joe’s entire career with the city police department was one where he was committed to the service of others,’ Callisto said. ‘He came in and offered a vision for what he thought that campus policing, community policing should be, and he’s followed through on that.’

To say that Joe employs grassroots methods to gain the trust of students would be an understatement. He personally approaches large numbers of students in order to get a pulse on how the SU community is doing. Joe is also the residence hall supervisor for DPS and has become a prevalent force among most dorms. His level of face-time has left considerable impressions among the residents.

‘I know Joe is popular among the RAs. They like to invite him to their safety programs, and he enjoys coming to them,’ said Jeffrey Carroll, residence director of Brewster and Brockway halls. ‘I think you can go up to most students who are active in the residence halls and they will probably know who he is.’

It may seem that Joe finds improving student lives to be motivating enough, but ask the community officer what keeps him focused in his work and he’ll tell you otherwise. ‘If you want to know anything about me, you have to know about my wife and kids,’ he said.

In fact, if it weren’t for his wife, Joe wouldn’t even be in Syracuse. He grew up in Brooklyn and policed in other areas, but he said once he met his wife, a Syracuse native, he moved into town in 1991. After almost 20 years of policing, Joe attributes most of his success in life to his family.

‘Behind what everybody thinks is a good man there’s always a good partner, and in my case it’s my wife,’ Joe said. ‘So without her support and the support of my four kids I can’t be here and be the way I am.’

Now a Camillus, N.Y., resident, Joe faces a unique familiarity this semester that most other DPS officers have yet to experience. While meeting and interacting with hordes of random students, Joe also has to think about his daughter, Jessica, who is a freshman engineering major. He said he tries not to spend too much time worrying about her.

‘He actually promised me before I got here that he would stay out of my way. He said that this is my school, (and) he doesn’t want me to be known as Joe Shanley’s daughter. He hasn’t gotten in my way, so I have no complaints about him,’ Jessica said.

Jessica is more than aware of her father’s esteemed reputation on campus, a reputation that has only helped her in her transition into SU life. When talking to others, the topic of her father is a difficult one to avoid, and while Joe didn’t want his daughter to be identified through his persona, it’s a task easier said than done.

‘When people say that Joe Shanley’s my dad, they’re like, ‘Oh my god, Joe Shanley?” Jessica said. ‘A lot of my friends bring it up, and then they’re like, ‘Oh my god, I know him, I saw him the other day.”

Knowing Joe longer than anybody on campus, Jessica can easily identify the attributes that make Joe such a positive force on campus. ‘He’s so friendly, and he’s open to any kind of personality. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, he’ll be nice to you no matter what,’ Joe said.

Joe, too, is aware of his campus-wide presence. While remaining modest, he tries to capitalize on his fame so more students can recognize him. Last semester, he and other members of DPS released flyers with Joe’s face throughout campus in a campaign to promote DPS. ‘The next time they see me, it just might open them enough to come talk to me,’ Joe said on the poster’s effectiveness.

To Joe, being approachable and personable is the key when talking to students. Joe said he tries to find something in common with them so that he can strike up conversation. It could be as simple as seeing a student wearing a New York Yankees hat, and Joe sees a green light for interaction.

Most students view authority figures with apprehension due to their affiliation, Joe said, but he’s trying to change the campus perception of men in uniform. ‘They (students) don’t see him as a DPS officer, he’s just someone who looks after them on campus,’ Jessica said.

Despite how students perceive him, Joe still realizes that, at the end of the day, he is still an officer who must uphold the law. Granted, he’s always willing to help students any way he possibly can, it just has to stay inside the law. As Joe would say, he doesn’t carry get-out-of-jail-free cards in his belt. In place of those, he keeps a bevy of personal business cards, passing so many out that one may think he’s selling something.

‘To be honest, I think he goes through the most business cards on campus. He gives his contact information to everyone he meets, and the students appreciate it,’ said Carroll.

So next time a large DPS officer is walking around the hall, don’t hesitate to say hello. Chances are, if you don’t Joe will just end up talking to you. That’s how Joe Shanley works. For him, every day of community policing at SU is a fresh opportunity to discover something new about the students and the community.

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Published on November 17, 2009 at 12:00 pm