Syracuse University Seeks to Hire Nearly 100 Safety Officers

Syracuse University Seeks to Hire Nearly 100 Safety Officers

The safety officers will check the IDs of both students and visitors who are entering one of Syracuse University’s 22 residential halls.

In an effort to secure the university’s 22 residential halls around the clock seven days a week, Syracuse is looking to hire 84 safety officers as well as 12 coordinators, who will supervise the officers.

Currently, the New York university’s residential hall entrances are manned by 220 student workers.

Department of Public Safety Chief Bobby Maldonado said the university’s decision to hire the officers is not linked to any one incident.

“Every summer we evaluate security and safety needs,” Maldonado said to Syracuse.com. “This year we made a determination that we wanted to increase those hours and make it 24 a day, seven days a week.”

The safety officers will make $15.50 an hour and work 10-hour shifts with rotating days off, and the coordinator job will pay $18 an hour.

Maldonado said he is looking to hire locally. 

Unlike a police officer, the officers will not be allowed to be armed. However, they will have to be certified in the sate as security guards.

The university expects the officers to be hired and checking the IDs of students and visitors at the entrances beginning next spring, reported CNY Central.

“We want folks who are going to be able to engage our students. Folks that are reliable and more importantly, I think that being able to understand students when they come through and from those doors it’s more than just checking an ID,” said Maldonado to the outlet.

During his research for the newly created positions, Maldonado said he did not find many schools who have the same policy in place with many of them opting to hire students or guards to staff the halls, reported Syracuse.com.

He said he believes SU is on the “forefront” of campus safety by creating these new full-time positions.

About the Author

Sherelle Black is a Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

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