Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety honored 10 of its employees, along with five members of the University community, at the fourth annual DPS Awards Ceremony, held at 6 p.m. Friday, May 6, at Drumlins Country Club. The awards honored the exceptional achievements of DPS staff members throughout the 2010 calendar year. Their outstanding accomplishments continue to contribute to the safety and security of the SU community.
The award recipients are:
Amber Taylor, an SU student, received recognition for reporting a suspicious person who was subsequently arrested for committing multiple burglaries on South Campus. She was able to report the incident, stay on the phone with the communications specialist and give the suspect’s direction of travel and a partial description.
Daniel Delpha, an officer with the University Safety Department, assisted Public Safety Officer Adam Novak on a call with a student’s father who was unconscious, bleeding from the head and not breathing.
Seth Tucker, crisis support manager of the Division of Student Affairs; Kevin Morrow, executive director of social media for SU; and Janet Epstein, associate director of the R.A.P.E. Center; received Public Safety Recognition Awards for their ongoing assistance to the DPS.
Cpl. Joseph Shanley and Officer Frederick Brown, were presented with the Major Grant Williams Community Service Award. The award commemorates the dedication and commitment to service exemplified by the late Major Williams in his four decades of service to DPS and to the University. Brown and Shanley were recognized for their efforts with the Orange Watch Plus residential safety program, and for their willingness to help the department in any manner possible.
The Director’s Distinguished Service Award was given to two members of the department for their continuing commitment to going above and beyond their required duties. Sergeant Keith DiBello and Officer Adam Wheeler were presented with this award–DiBello for his actions in burglary cases and for his ongoing community policing efforts with the University Greek community, and Wheeler for his consistent and extraordinary willingness to assume additional responsibilities, including developing collaborative relationships with other law enforcement agencies.
Public Safety Officers Daniel Balloni and David Giocondo received the Director’s Meritorious Service Award for their collective efforts during the investigation of a burglary and the subsequent recovery of the stolen property.
Also receiving the Meritorious Service Award were Novak, for his life-saving actions on an illness call, Officer Matthew Zingaro for his exceptional work on a burglary investigation and a separate larceny investigation and Community Service Officer George Wazen for apprehending a larceny suspect at the Warehouse.
The Vice Presidents’ Award is presented to an officer who performs a series of acts of exceptional achievement to the department and the University. This year, Lt. Edward Weber was honored with the award. Weber was recognized for his actions on a menacing/weapons possession case that ended in arrest, and also for his consistent collaboration with the Syracuse Police Department (SPD), which enhances the relationship between the DPS and the SPD.
Additional commendations were given to the DPS Patrol Division for their outstanding work over the University’s winter break, and the SPD for all of the work they do to assist Public Safety, as well as to commemorate the ongoing relationship between the two law enforcement departments. A third commendation was presented to Jose Camacho for his years of service as both an enhanced authority public safety officer and DPS Technical Specialist.
Each award recipient significantly impacted the collective efforts of DPS, and it is due to their efforts that the reputation of DPS as a service provider and professional law enforcement agency has continued to flourish.
