������Ƶ

At Syracuse University safety is a commitment rooted in community, a mission that guides the . This comprehensive team includes a sworn and unsworn officer force, emergency management, business continuity and safety programming.

Since joining the University in July 2025 as associate vice president and chief of Campus Safety and Emergency Management Services, has drawn on more than two decades of safety leadership experience to quickly strengthen an ecosystem of safety, support and a University welcoming to all.

“Our progress reflects a team focused on learning, adapting and building trust. What I am most proud of is the momentum we’ve built in simultaneously strengthening professionalism and community engagement. Equally important is our internal team culture. We are deeply committed to the campus community and consistently approach our work with compassion,” says Bunker. “Together it shows that DPS is moving in a direction where strong operational standards and strong community relationships go hand-in-hand. That balance is essential for modern campus safety and for ensuring that every member of the Syracuse University community feels supported.”

Chief Bunker has stepped into his role with each Orange community member top of mind. Below are seven ways he and DPS have evolved safety efforts to meet present campus needs.

1. Coordinating Safety as a Shared Responsibility

DPS has become a model for a campus safety team that truly puts people first and breaks down barriers. “The goal is for DPS to be seen not just as a response agency but as a partner in proactively creating an environment where everyone feels safe, respected and supported,” says Bunker. “Through close campus partners such as the Barnes Center at The Arch, Residential Living and other units in the Student Experience Division, as well as our academic and business operations partners, when challenges arise, the response is coordinated and supportive.”

2. Enhancing Individualized Community Connections

Safety preparedness begins far before problems occur. It starts with proactively building and maintaining connections with individual community members, while ensuring safety strategies reflect their needs and experiences. With a shared goal of building trust and familiarity, DPS continues to pursue such community building events as Coffee with a Cop, Safety Stations outside of first-year residence halls and the Marshall Street substation.

“You can expect to be met with professionalism, respect and a genuine desire to help. Our officers are trained to listen first, assess the situation and respond in a way that prioritizes safety and dignity,” says Bunker. “Whether you’re calling because of an emergency, a noise complaint or a wellness concern, the goal is always the same: to make sure you’re OK and to make sure you feel heard.”

3. Strengthening Partnerships On and Off Campus

Campus safety doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Threats, whether criminal, cyber or otherwise, rarely stay confined to a single jurisdiction. If an incident happens on or off campus, Chief Bunker’s work has strengthened the University’s local, regional and federal partnerships, providing access to real-time intelligence, shared resources and coordinated response capabilities. Highlights include the following:

• Syracuse Police Department
• Central New York Crime Analysis Center
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force

4. Committing to Continued DPS Education

Campus safety requires officers to be prepared for far more than traditional law enforcement situations. This means ensuring DPS officers are equipped to personalize interactions, especially with those who may be experiencing stress, mental health challenges, personal crises or difficult moments in their lives.

In support of evolving needs, the DPS team has made significant investments in officer readiness over the last few months. This includes expanding training in areas that directly reflect the realities of a modern university, such as raising the bar on officer fitness and physical preparedness, in addition to enhancing overall response capabilities.

Together these actions enhance our community members’ feelings of confidence in knowing that help is ready when it is needed most.

“Some of the trainings I’m most proud of include de-escalation (communication techniques that help safely reduce tension and resolve situations without unnecessary enforcement), crisis Intervention (recognizing and responding appropriately during a mental health crisis) and interviewing with empathy (engaging with victims, witnesses and students in a way that prioritizes respect, understanding and trust),” says Bunker.

5. Empowering the Campus Community

DPS hosts trainings for campus community members and student organizations. Please to learn more. Educational training highlights include the following:

• Community Police Academy (CPA)
• Self Defense
• Bystander Intervention
• Personal Safety
• Crime Prevention
• Active Threat Response

6. Evaluating Internal DPS Operations for External Success

Seeking to improve consistency and officer familiarity with campus, Chief Bunker shifted from 10-hour to 12-hour patrol schedules, resulting in increasing patrol presence, larger shift sizes and meeting a majority officer preference. “Longer shifts mean officers develop deeper knowledge of their patrol areas, build stronger relationships with the communities they serve and experience fewer hand-off gaps between shifts,” says Bunker.

7. Prioritizing the Student Experience

In addition to proactive and reactive safety efforts, DPS supports student-focused professional development and experiential learning through employing student team members. Experiences span from being a welcoming first point of contact, technology and closed-circuit television (CCTV) operations, or supporting communications, marketing and business continuity planning efforts.

“I wish students knew how much DPS genuinely cares about them. There’s a real human element to this team that often gets overlooked. The officers and staff here show up every day focused on building trust and keeping people safe,” says Alexa Selter ’26, DPS communications and marketing student employee. “Working on the team has made me realize how much goes on behind the scenes to keep our campus feeling safe and welcoming. Before this role, I think I took that for granted. Now I see the people and the effort behind it, and it makes me want to show up more intentionally, both in my work and as a student on this campus.”