Callisto named SU director of public safetyMay 09, 2007Kevin Morrowkdmorrow@syr.edu
Anthony Callisto, Jr., has been named director of Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety, effective immediately, according to SU Senior Vice President for Human Services and Government Relations Eleanor Ware.
He has served as interim director since March 2006, having joined SU from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, where he was chief deputy sheriff.
“In his year as interim director, Tony maintained a high level of performance in all responsibilities of the position,” Ware says. “He earned the respect and trust of our public safety officers and demonstrated a willingness and ability to collaborate effectively with students, campus departments and local law enforcement. He is knowledgeable, dedicated and genuinely cares about our students and our community.”
“I am delighted that Tony Callisto will be leading the Department of Public Safety,” says Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “He brings the right mix of law enforcement experience, administrative acumen and a sense of true caring to the position. I have great confidence in his abilities to oversee the safety and security of our University community.”
“The committee recognized that Tony possesses the quality and the expertise to lead the Department of Public Safety,” says Dean of Hendricks Chapel Thomas V. Wolfe, chair of the public safety director search committee. “He brings an understanding of community policing and has widespread support from the University community.”
“Chief Callisto has proven himself as a dedicated leader and committed partner in service to students,” says Anastasia L. Urtz, associate vice president and dean of students. “Members of the University community are already benefiting from his work in completing the transition to peace officer status for members of the Department of Public Safety and in framing the Orange Watch program, which will extend the eyes and ears of the department to foster community safety.”
“Chief Callisto has done an excellent job in his current position as the interim director at the Department of Public Safety,” says SU Student Association President Ryan Kelly. “His efforts to truly connect with the students are unparalleled by anyone I have worked with at DPS. He takes the time to really understand the issues students are facing and is always looking to improve. I have confidence that his dedication to the students and Syracuse community will be a great asset here for years to come.”
In his capacity as interim director, Callisto has overseen the completion of the peace officer transition for public safety officers, and he has led an analysis and assessment of DPS staffing, leading to the reorganization of the investigations and crime prevention/community service units and the creation of the recently announced Orange Watch program, which provides an expanded DPS presence on campus and in nearby neighborhoods.
He has also expanded DPS’ community-oriented policing efforts, especially on South Campus, and has launched the Public Safety Student Advisory Council to strengthen the partnership between students and DPS.
Callisto brings 25 years of law enforcement experience to his position as director of public safety. In his previous role as chief deputy sheriff, Callisto managed a staff of nearly 300 deputy sheriffs and was responsible for the development and management of annual budgets exceeding $40 million. He streamlined management operations in the Sheriff’s Office; developed an overtime management system that saved Onondaga County millions of dollars over his last seven years with the department; and was closely involved in the development, design and installation of advanced surveillance technology and security systems for the Onondaga County Justice Center, the Onondaga County Criminal Court House and the Hillbrook Juvenile Detention Facility.
Callisto is also an adjunct faculty member in the criminal justice programs at Keuka College and Columbia College and has been a national criminal justice consultant for the past several years.
Callisto holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal Justice from Columbia College and a master’s degree in public administration from the Maxwell School.
For information on the Department of Public Safety, visit http://publicsafety.syr.edu.
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