Neighborhood Patrol Initiative: A Partnership Between the University and Local Law Enforcement

• NCJ Number: 197309
• Journal: Campus Law Enforcement Journal Volume: 32 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 2002 Pages: 15-17
• Author(s): Laura M. Madelone; Joe Cecile
• Date Published: July 2002
• Length: 3 pages
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: For more information about this program, see www.students.syr.edu/offcampusliving.

Annotation

The City of Syracuse Police Department (New York) and the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety established the Neighborhood Patrol Initiative (NPI) in the fall of 1999 to improve the quality of life for residents and students who live in the East Neighborhood, which is an urban residential neighborhood adjacent to the university.

Abstract

The East Neighborhood houses approximately 30,993 people in a variety of single family and multi-family dwellings. The neighborhood is home to approximately 4,000 full-time university students. The goals of the NPI are to improve the quality of life in the East Neighborhood; promote crime awareness and public safety; reduce underage drinking; and respond to city ordinance violations. When the Syracuse police officers who work the NPI investigate a complaint that involves a student, they have the option of calling the campus officers who work with the NPI. Campus officers assist in responding to the incident and in referring the matter to the Office of Judicial Affairs of Syracuse University. The Syracuse Police Department retains discretion to seek other avenues for resolving a particular case. One of the featured elements of the NPI is the use of community policing officers by the Syracuse Police Department. These officers are trained in problem-solving techniques. An unexpected effect of the NPI has been crime deterrence in the East Neighborhood. The program includes patrolling the neighborhood in a marked police cruiser to look for suspicious persons and activities. As a result, the East Neighborhood has had a decrease in crime since the NPI was begun. The program also includes a number of initiatives that focus on helping students adjust to the challenges of living off campus. Efforts include a door-to-door welcoming event at the beginning of the academic year, an off-campus-living video, an off-campus student handbook, an off-campus student housing fair, and an off-campus-living web site.