Members of the Student Association are concerned the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety’s jurisdiction and criteria for shutting down parties is racially biased.

Tensions rose at an SA meeting last Monday when DPS Associate Chief John Sardino and Crime Prevention Coordinator C.J. McCurty gave a presentation and Q&A about DPS’ role on campus.

Members of the SA cabinet and assembly voiced confusion about DPS jurisdiction and the department’s criteria for shutting down parties, as well a liability issue preventing the use of the Safety Escort Program to transport highly intoxicated students home.

At the meeting, Sardino said DPS will not pick up any intoxicated student.

“We will get that person help, we will help them walk home, but we’re not going to put them in a vehicle and transport them,” he said. It is standard, however, for the responding officer to transport the student for medical treatment or call Health Services, he said.

Sardino added he did not consider a student who has had “one or two drinks” to be intoxicated. Though an officer should respond to any call requesting the escort program, McCurty said the program is for safety, “not necessarily for a (sic) convenient transportation.”

The escort service is intended to be a secondary mode of transportation, according to the DPS website. The department “reserve(s) the right to redirect callers to other transportation services” such as Centro buses.

Obi Afriyie, SA parliamentarian, said in an interview that SU needs a stronger “ride back” program that distinguishes between students who are of legal drinking age and those who aren’t.

Intoxicated students who are underage calling the escort program should be dropped off at their residence halls with a resident adviser after completing a health evaluation, he said, while anyone 21 years or older should be taken home.

“I do believe it shouldn’t fall all on DPS, but they need to be the spearhead for that campaign because their whole job is our safety,” Afriyie said, after saying that SA should look into funding such a ride back program.

Comptroller Cierra Britton, who is an RA in Haven Hall, asked about how DPS shuts down parties. She said she often sees students drinking outside, near Washington Arms, playing loud music.

“I’ve seen on multiple occasions cars just drive by,” Britton said, speaking of DPS patrol vehicles. “Now, there will be a party or function off campus and there will be, like, 20 officers coming into those locations.”

Sardino said DPS shuts down parties based on noise complaints, not its officers’ observations.

Natasha Walker, College of Visual and Performing Arts representative, said at the meeting that explanation didn’t “sit still” with her. She said some parties she’s attended over the years got shut down, while others down the street were allowed to continue.

She added that this is a problem because the black community feels different on campus compared to other demographics.

In September, DPS shut down Blacker the Berry — an event created as an alternative to Juice Jam by students of color who felt they were underrepresented by the Juice Jam lineup — because the hosts didn’t have a permit for live entertainment. The department allowed attendees to continue the event without the performance.

Ryan Bolton, a co-creator of the Blacker the Berry fundraiser and concert, asked what students should do if they wanted to organize an event on South Campus without it being shut down.

“Parties on South Campus get shut down all the time,” Bolton said, adding that he wanted to know of any difference between parties on South Campus and events in areas like Castle Court.

Sardino said the discrepancy is based on noise complaints.

A large party at Castle Court, located across the street from Walnut Park.
Zach Barlow | Senior Staff Photographer

“There’s been a concern by students of color that DPS and Syracuse Police Department are targeting students of color and breaking those parties up at a way higher rate,” Sardino said in an interview. “I don’t believe that’s necessarily true on any regular basis.”

Sardino said 90 percent of students who are issued tickets by SPD or referrals by DPS in connections to parties are white. He added that parties are shut down only when a noise complaint is made.

Noise complaints are issued at a higher rate on blocks with more homeowners or 12-month residents, Sarindo said. That demographic is almost entirely absent in some parts of the University Hill area but scattered in others, he said.

Streets from Ostrom to Westcott avenues are dominated by houses and apartments rented by students but include a sprinkling of homeowners, according to the most recent land map from 2013. Walnut Avenue, where many fraternity and sorority houses are located, is surrounded by university-owned and commercial properties.

DPS received no noise complaints for Walnut Avenue between Oct. 15-17, but there were three for University Village Apartments on Colvin Street.

Jamie Morrisey, a community manager at UV, said parties are broken up there about once per week. Sardino confirmed that noise complaints for UV come from permanent residents living on adjacent streets.

Afriyie said DPS’ explanation didn’t address the point of SA’s concerns.

“I don’t think he addressed the issue, which is there’s some lack of transparency factors with DPS,” Afriyie said, comparing the unregistered Blacker the Berry to unregistered events at Castle Court that are not shut down.

He said students want to know how DPS makes the decision to shut down parties, and that students should learn about those policies when they’re freshmen.

Afriyie suggested that it should be made mandatory for freshmen to attend sessions with DPS to start a dialogue about the department’s role early in their college careers. He said he’s seen a lack of trust in younger students toward DPS.

One night, Afriyie said he and his roommate called DPS for a freshman so intoxicated he couldn’t stand up.

“His friends come over and say ‘Oh no, don’t call DPS, don’t call DPS. He’s going to get in trouble,’” Afriyie said. “He could’ve gotten very ill … students would rather have that than call DPS. That’s very concerning to me.”

Published on October 30, 2017 at 12:12 am

Contact Mary: mdcatalf@syr.edu | @mrycatalfamo