Student Peer Advisers as Safety Allies

The initiative states that under the guidance and direction of the Department of Public Safety, forty-seven previously selected student peer advisers will act as safety allies within the School of Architecture. Peer advisers would, during the normal course of their academic duties, identify when students who work and study in the architecture school’s home buildings leave personal and/or high-value items unattended (i.e., laptop computers, iPods, cell phones).

The peer advisers will take action by either calling the DPS with a found property complaint and leaving behind a business card-type notice with instructions on how to claim the secured property later, or bringing to the attention of the student that they could be victimized via theft of their property, and that the unattended property should be secured. The advisers are equipped with flyers produced by the DPS. One side of the flyer leaves space for the adviser to indicate the date, time, and the condition that he or she observed. The reverse side lists basic safety guidelines and contact information for the Department of Public Safety.

The Department of Public Safety views this initiative as a pilot program. If we have continued success with the program at the School of Architecture, the program could be replicated at the ten (10) other schools and colleges at Syracuse University.