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Since the beginning of August, there have been 41 residential burglaries on the east side, 23 of which occurred in the area immediately east of SU’s campus, DPS Chief Craig Stone said.

In response to the uptick in burglaries in the area, which have increased nearly 50% since last year, Stone said both DPS and SPD have increased their off-campus presence in Syracuse’s eastern neighborhoods to improve crime prevention. The majority of these burglaries have been non-violent “crimes of opportunity,” including houses and other buildings where windows and doors are unlocked, Stone said.

The Syracuse Police Department has made arrests in relation to several recent incidents, Stone said, but students living on and off campus should still remain diligent about staying safe and preventing crime.

“It’s important (to try to) reduce crime through crime prevention and education,” Stone said.

Stone and Ben Tupper, the owner of Rent from Ben, said students should keep doors and windows locked. They should also make their residence look occupied even if they are asleep or away to avoid being targeted, they said.

In addition to regularly taking inventory of safety equipment in their homes and what condition the items are in, Stone said students should consider installing an affordable security alarm system.

Students interested in living off-campus should perform a thorough inspection of potential living spaces before moving in, Stone suggested. Students should also ask about what landlord-tenant responsibilities are and what the area’s crime data looks like, he said.

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Tupper said students should take initiative and report “weak spots” in their homes to their landlords to prevent future break-ins.

“If your lock isn’t working or you don’t think it’s working, if you think a window is not secure, let (them) know,” Tupper said.

Tupper also suggested delegating security responsibilities among roommates for better efficiency.

“(Without communication), if you live with a group of four or five people, everybody’s kind of assuming the other person locked the door,” Tupper said.

DPS is continually assessing safety measures currently in place and working toward ways the agency can improve, Stone said. It is currently looking into where they should install cameras on and off-campus, he said.

If a student feels unsafe they should always call DPS, Stone said.

“We need to look out for each other,” Stone said. “We need (the community) to help us keep them safe.”

Published on September 12, 2022 at 3:13 am