Syracuse University students living off campus should not feel alarmed if they see a Syracuse Police Department officer at their door this weekend.

The Syracuse Property Owners Association, the Office of Off-Campus Student Services and the police department will work together this Saturday to help students prepare their apartments for winter break, said Laura Madelone, director of the office.

Officers will distribute the list of tips and a general brochure about off-campus safety between 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday in the neighborhood safety patrol area. Officers who are part of the nightly neighborhood safety patrol will finish the door-to-door distribution after Saturday, Madelone said. The Office of Greek Life and Experiential Learning and and Campus Hill Apartments will also distribute information, she said.

David Eade, a landlord in Syracuse and a member of SPOA, said this is the third year SPOA has paid for officers to go door to door, and they are pleased with the results.

“We’re picking up the tab for this,” Eade said. “But we do get a big bang for our buck with this program.”

The packet includes suggestions about how to protect one’s residence during an extended break, includes renting tips for students, and also information about how to spot suspicious behavior outside of a residence, Madelone said. Eade said the packet informs students of some common sense procedures they can use to secure their belongings before leaving SU.

The office will combine efforts with SPOA around the holiday season in an effort to reduce the risk of students being the victims of robberies. The two organizations decided to be more efficient and combine efforts this year, Madelone said. In previous years SU sent out a brochure in November and SPOA would use officers to distribute similar information to students.

The Syracuse University Department of Public Safety is also making efforts during the break to ensure the safety of student residences on campus. William D. Ferguson, deputy director of Public Safety, said an extra patrol is normally added on South Campus to check if apartments have been locked and dowels have been put into place. Normal patrols will occur on North Campus and officers will continue patrolling residence halls to make sure everything is secure, Ferguson said.

Madelone noted the importance of students taking safety measures during breaks.

“In light of recent concerns and requests, I hope they look at it and take it seriously,” Madelone said.

Published on December 3, 2002 at 12:00 pm