On Oct. 26, 18 members of the campus community graduated from the first Department of Public Safety (DPS) community police academy. The academy is a free four-week program designed to give students, faculty and staff an idea of what it is like to protect and serve the campus community. During their time, participants learned from guest presenters, including representatives from DPS, Fire and Life Safety Services, Residential Safety Program and Syracuse University Ambulance. The presentations included tours, lectures and hands-on practical trainings.
The academy culminated in a graduation ceremony where the graduates were presented a certificate of completion from Craig Stone, DPS chief and associate vice president. “Being able to share how DPS operates with our campus community is a vital part of transparency,” says Stone. “I am thankful for this first group of graduates. The connection to the community we serve is something we will continue to strengthen.”
Graduates felt they forged a connection with DPS and gained a deeper understanding of how the department functions. Erika Schneider, assistant professor in the Newhouse School of Public Communications, believes she now better understands how DPS operates. “The community police academy was a very positive experience. I appreciated the transparency that the DPS officers used while discussing their operations and procedures,” she says. “It was great to be a student again and learn from so many knowledgeable members of DPS.”
Officer George Wazen, who spearheaded organizing the academy, believes this endeavor is something that will continue to strengthen the relationship between DPS and the campus community. “The academy was about why DPS operates the way it does. Our emphasis on transparency will hopefully instill understanding and confidence amongst our campus community as we work towards bridging any gaps,” says Wazen. Seeing the graduates learn in real time is what proved to be most rewarding to Wazen. “Watching the participants’ reaction to our lectures and hands-on activities is truly priceless,” he says.
The goal for Wazen and DPS is for the academy to continue to grow moving forward. Schneider believes that the academy is something more members of the campus community should take part in. “I would highly recommend the community police academy to any student, faculty, or staff member. I would love to continue this training myself if it were to get extended,” she says.
As DPS celebrates its first class graduating, the department is already hard at work preparing for the next iteration of the CPA, slated for the Spring 2023 semester. To learn more about the program, visit dps.syr.edu and follow DPS on social media (@syracusedps) for updates.
