New DPS Chief Robert Maldonado Takes Oath of Office

New DPS Chief Robert Maldonado (left) and Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler shake hands moments after Maldonado was sworn in as a peace officer at the Syracuse Public Safety Building.

Department of Public Safety (DPS) Chief Robert Maldonado was officially sworn in on July 27 as a peace officer by Syracuse Police Department Chief Frank Fowler. Chief Maldonado’s first day leading the Department of Public Safety, which consists of more than 100 employees, was Monday.

The Department of Public Safety employs academy-trained sworn campus peace officers, non-sworn community service officers, fire and life safety officers and Emergency Communications Center staff. DPS responds to more than 67,000 calls for service on and around campus each year, providing proactive services through vehicular, bicycle and foot patrol.

Additionally, Chief Maldonado will continue the Department’s excellent working relationships with local law enforcement agencies: the Syracuse Police Department, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office and the Town of Dewitt Police Department. DPS operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Syracuse Police Department that outlines both agencies’ responsibilities for investigating alleged crimes and offenses in the University area.

Chief Fowler performs the swearing in of DPS officers joining the DPS as an official welcome and endorsement of the joint law enforcement efforts in the University area, and to provide University officers with authority to enforce New York State law and local ordinances. Maldonado’s oath of office as a peace officer grants him authority to oversee and manage the law enforcement functions of the Department of Public Safety.