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Around midnight after her shift at Bird Library, Erica Negrini called for a safety escort shuttle from Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety.

After more than 15 minutes, the shuttle had not shown up, and Negrini said she began to feel uncomfortable and unsafe. It was then, Negrini said, that she noticed somebody idling nearby her and beginning to follow her. 

“As a freshman, that late, I didn’t feel comfortable walking back to Flint by myself after 12 a.m.,” Negrini said. “I called the safety [shuttle] again, and they said that they couldn’t help me anymore.”

In recent years, students have filed numerous complaints against DPS about the safety escort shuttle. In February, Loretta Lynch released her review of DPS. After addressing the complaints and conducting her investigation, she recommended that the safety escort service be moved to another department. Students would be better protected and served in this way, she said.

On June 29, DPS announced that SU’s Parking and Transportation Services would take over all shuttle escort services with the university starting on July 1. 

DPS did not respond to multiple requests for an interview regarding the switch of the escort shuttle service away from the department. 

Lynch believed that the previous policies for requesting a shuttle from DPS — such as determining the level of severity of a “suspicious circumstance” or “high threat neighborhood” — were too subjective. The responsibility should be moved to another department, she said. 

The new shuttle service no longer requires “squad car response to escort requests,” Jennifer Horvath, communications director of business, finance and administrative Services, said. She also said that there is no longer an undefined policy surrounding the interpretation of “suspicious circumstances” and “high threat neighborhoods,” which could result in inequitable policing of students of color identified in Lynch’s report.

Under the new model for the safety shuttle service, PTS will be able to determine the necessity for an escort with less bias because Lynch stated that the responsibility does not require public safety expertise.

As of July 1, the safety escort shuttle operates from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night and should be requested by calling 315-443-7433 (RIDE). Shuttles will only operate in areas where other transportation methods do not operate. PTS has provided students with a map that details the boundaries in which the shuttles run. 

The map shows that safety escort shuttles operate within the approximate boundaries of W. Washington Street in Armory Square, Skytop Road near I-481, Westmoreland Ave and E. Fayette St. 

The shuttle service under PTS is intended to be a secondary resource when other transportation methods, such as the ‘Cuse Trolley and Centro buses, are unavailable, Horvath said. 

“The service is not intended to be used as free rideshare, and students requesting rides will be directed to other transportation options if or when they are available,” Horvath added.

Negrini, however, feels that the boundaries aren’t necessarily sufficient for the areas of Syracuse where students may need to request a safety escort shuttle. 

“I wish that they would take our safety more seriously,” Negrini said. “I was put in a really uncomfortable and honestly unsafe position last semester. I wouldn’t want that to happen to anyone else.”

Published on September 2, 2021 at 12:12 am

Contact Karoline: [email protected]