On Sept. 16, the Department of Public Safety graduated a new class of 15 non-sworn officers. This group of male and female graduates includes individuals proficient in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Patois, joining Public Safety from a range of professional backgrounds—military, law enforcement, health care, higher education, social work and the United Nations.
The class—the second largest in recent history—began training on June 16 and graduated having completed 600 hours of class room and field training hours that included New York State laws, University policies and procedures, geography of all the campuses, preliminary investigations, diversity and disability awareness, de-escalation techniques and dealing with emotionally distraught persons.
“This is by far the most diverse class of Public Safety officers hired in the history of the department,” said Public Safety Chief Mark Fischer. “And adding new bilingual capabilities is always an asset to the ways we are able to engage with our University community members.”
Public Safety officers—both sworn and non-sworn—patrol University properties, including the River Campus, Medical Center, South Campus, and Eastman School of Music, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to responding to emergencies—fires, accidents, and physical crimes—Public Safety staff provide a wide range of non-emergency services, including personal safety escorts; door openings for lockouts; routine building and area checks; as well as the department’s Adopt-a-Hall program, which assigns Public Safety officers to one or two undergraduate residence halls to make them readily available for student concerns or questions.
