SU Department of Public Safety restructures to better serve the community

SU Department of Public Safety restructures to better serve the communityAugust 27, 2007Josh Blair

In continuing with its transition toward a true community-oriented policing model, the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety (DPS) has restructured to focus resources toward new priorities.

“Community policing requires a commitment to relationship building with members of our community and using technology to create more opportunities for officers to engage and serve the community,” says DPS Chief Anthony Callisto Jr. “Our new structure prioritizes those commitments.”

DPS is now composed of two divisions — the Community Policing Division and the Administrative, Technical and Support Services Division.

The Community Policing Division will be responsible for patrol, investigations and community resources/special events. The Administrative, Technical and Support Services Division will be responsible for all administrative, information technology, security and communications technology, fiscal and office management functions. As a result of these changes, Mike Rathbun has been promoted to assistant director and assistant chief for community policing operations and Donna Adams has been promoted to associate director for administrative, technical and support services.

Under Rathbun’s supervision, Lt. Vern Thompson will command the Investigations Unit, Lt. Andy Mrozienski will command patrol operations, and Lt. John Sardino will command all events management, Orange Watch, auxiliary staff and the Students for Community Safety program.

Under Adams’ supervision, Mike Kearns, manager of technical and security services, will be responsible for not only new information and security technologies but also all radio communications functions, with Linda Koser-Martin, as supervisor for all dispatch functions, under his supervision. Andrea Stagnari has been hired as the new manager of accreditation, compliance and grants. She is responsible for?obtaining CALEA accreditation, managing Jeanne Clery Act compliance, and working with Technical/Security Services and Crime Prevention to secure grant funding for projects and programs. Stagnari comes to DPS from Crozier Fine Arts in New York City, where she served as director of security and safety.

Grant Williams has been promoted to assistant director and major of crime prevention and community relations and will act as a senior advisor on crime prevention and community issues. He will be assisted by two crime prevention and community relations managers — Officer C.J. McCurty for South Campus and Officer Jim Thompson for North Campus.

All training and recruitment functions will be under the command of Jill Lentz, who has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant. She will also be responsible for managing public and media relations.

Ed Weber has been promoted to lieutenant of special investigations and internal affairs. He will be responsible for coordinating and conducting sensitive investigations as well as monitoring and investigating professional standards-related issues at DPS.