DPS chief’s comments seem to imply students are to blame for recent robberies near campus

After a recent media briefing held by the Department of Public Safety and the Syracuse Police Department on Oct. 7, The Daily Orange quoted DPS Chief Tony Callisto as saying many of the student-related crimes on and around campus were preventable. “I’ve been here for seven years, and I haven’t seen one robbery incident that involved three students or more walking together,” he was quoted as saying.

I hope this quote was taken out of context, because it sounds to me like Callisto is blaming the students who were robbed on Saturday night and Sunday morning. I concede that the students may have been under the influence or some other unsafe factors may have been present, but it’s never acceptable to blame the victims of a crime, especially when it’s your job is to protect them.

The comment is equivalent to Callisto hypothetically mentioning he doesn’t often see rape victims who were modestly dressed. The latter would undoubtedly be met with public outcry, but the chief’s comments on Sunday go unnoticed.

The only thing for which students are to blame here is apathy, because no one seems to be holding DPS accountable. The university is facing a very real crime problem.

DPS claims crime levels are typical for the fall semester, and that might be true, but it’s still an unacceptable atmosphere for students. Individual DPS officers are extraordinary officers and I’ve had positive interactions with many, but there seems to be a disconnect within the organization when you consider the prevalent violence surrounding campus.

As a student who lives next to Thornden Park and often has to walk home alone from late studying, I will refuse to accept any blame if I become the victim of Syracuse’s crime.

I hope Callisto chooses his words more carefully in the future and I hope the students of our great university stop taking a backseat on the road to their own well-being.

If we don’t hold our administration, faculty, staff and support services accountable for providing the best education and student life experience possible, we’re cheating no one but ourselves.

Gregory Locke

Second-Year Student

Syracuse University College of Law