University needs to take more steps to ensure safety

The university needs to take better steps to inform and protect students regarding crime near campus.

In an email sent Monday by Department of Public Safety Chief Tony Callisto and Student Association President Dylan Lustig, students were told to avoid Acropolis Pizza House late at night, because that’s where crime seems to be occurring.

But simply avoiding one restaurant on Marshall Street will not solve the problem. If crime happens at one establishment on the street, all students and residents on Marshall Street could be in danger. If a suspect flees down Marshall Street, people in that area will not be safe.

Avoiding Marshall Street may keep us safer in the short term, but it will not deter crime in the area. It is a passive solution that students will not likely adhere to, and it will hurt business in the area.

In addition, the Syracuse Police Department and DPS are sending mixed messages to students. SPD officers have told The Daily Orange that the uptick in crime is related to gang activity. But the DPS email said the crime against students is not related to gang initiation activities. The line is blurry and feeds into student distress and worry. DPS and SPD need to clarify the message.

It is also disappointing that Nancy Cantor and university administration officials have not spoken up about this yet. Yes, the DPS chief is a university employee and the SA president represents the students, but the chancellor’s voice carries more weight and gravity. More students will open an email from the chancellor than a message from the DPS chief and SA president.

When contacted by The Daily Orange, university officials have deferred comments back to DPS. The university needs to protect its students and needs to take an active role in this situation, which continues to be an issue each weekend.