Public Safety Community Affairs
We’re dedicated to a strong partnership with the community we serve. To effectively create and maintain a safe and secure environment, the Department of Public Safety actively engages in the day-to-day operations on campus.
In collaboration and partnership with Adelphi students, faculty, and staff, members of the Public Safety team engage in community policing. This style of law enforcement and the Department’s progressive approach to public safety have been effective in crime prevention, risk identification and reduction, as well as problem-solving.
Every day, our Public Safety officers interact with members of the Adelphi community from many cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, sexual orientations and gender identities, persons with varying physical abilities and mental health conditions, and more. Each of these people brings a unique perspective to public safety-community relations so our officers must be prepared to respond to each individual in a respectful, appropriate fashion. In order to do this, we maintain an open dialogue and community relations through regular meetings with departments at Adelphi, the campus community, and the Garden City community.
Leaders in Public Safety and across the Adelphi community recognize that effective crime prevention cannot be achieved by merely patrolling a community; Public Safety must also be part of the community.
Initiatives
Among our strengths as a department is our commitment to being out among Adelphi students, faculty, and staff, and providing positive experiences to our community members. We can teach you how to use a fire extinguisher, change a tire, experience what it’s like to drunk drive in a safe environment, and various other things. These hands-on activities are a complement to our prevention and awareness programs. Members of the Public Safety staff enjoy working closely with our campus community, and these interactions enable the community to get to know our officers, which enhances the vital relationship between the Adelphi community and Public Safety.
Adelphi University’s Community Affairs & Crime Prevention Officer is Sgt. Gerry Lennon. Gerry plays a vital role in the department fostering relationships within our community. His work has been recognized by organizations both on and off campus and he has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors. The Public Safety Community Affairs Office is Located in the Ruth S. Harley University Center, Room 104.
Our goal in Public Safety Community Affairs is to:
- Continue to build and maintain trust between the Department of Public Safety and the community we serve.
- Provide materials and educational programs to increase awareness about safety and security.
- Create an ongoing dialogue with the community.
- Maintain open lines of communication.
- Assist the community in reducing opportunities for crime.
The purpose of the program is for our Public Safety Officers to interact with the community so the community may become more comfortable with the department and so we can understand their concerns. “To do our jobs right, we need to be out there in the community.”
The Park, Walk and Talk Program is where patrol officers [approximately 24-25 Public Safety Officers, and some Event Staff Members] are assigned to a “zone,” a portion of the university campus containing two to three academic and/or administrative buildings. During their shifts, the officers are assigned to patrolling the campus and at certain times during their patrol hours they will work in their zones. The officers will park and exit their patrol vehicles, walk around the zone area and go inside the buildings to visit with the people directly. This provides an opportunity for the officers to be reachable on a personal level, to directly answer questions or try to assist the community with issues or concerns and to better understand and get to know the university community.
To enhance our community relationships and expand our safety initiatives on campus, the department launched a new Public Safety liaison program in Fall 2022 that promotes Outreach, Connection and Collaboration: Team Up For Safety.
By assigning a designated Public Safety liaison to groups on campus, Team Up For Safety allows Public Safety to personalize customer service by fostering lines of open communication and building trust in all areas of the community such as working with students in different departments or student organizations. We will encourage all areas that wish to participate to reach out. The goal is to provide an outlet for students to readily approach Public Safety to exchange ideas through conversation and shared thoughts thus achieving a greater understanding and lasting relationships.
Through this proactive approach, Public Safety will develop a rapport with students, and groups by being available to answer questions, address safety issues, and arrange to attend meetings, seminars and other scheduled programs.
In addition to our Community Affairs & Crime Prevention Officer, we have the Public Safety Bike Patrol Unit. The Department of Public Safety Bike Patrol Unit operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, weather permitting. The Bike Patrol officers perform the same duties as other uniformed officers on campus but are able to navigate more easily throughout the campus.
Benefits of having the Bike Patrol Unit on campus include:
- Providing high visibility patrols by the officers throughout campus which enables the campus community to feel safer.
- It allows the officer to be more approachable by the students, faculty, staff and visitors, enabling the officer to interact more easily with the community.
- Bike patrol officers are able to conduct routine patrol functions as well as numerous other functions that a patrol officer in a vehicle would not be able to complete.
Building on the success of our Pink Patch Project, we’re growing our public awareness campaign with more causes and new designs, now in sticker form.
A $1 donation is suggested and all proceeds will go toward the designated organization or fund.
- Order Online: You can order your patch online by making a donation.
- Pick Up In Person: Visit Adelphi’s Public Safety Office in Levermore Hall, Room 113 or the Public Safety Community Affairs Office in Room 104 in the Ruth S. Harley University Center.
Recognizing the impact of social media and its potential for reaching students, faculty and staff members, the Department of Public Safety uses its Twitter account to share photos of our staff at campus events and useful safety information. @AU_Publicsafety
Safety training and awareness programs equip all Adelphi University students and employees with essential information on campus safety policies, resources, and reporting requirements, along with ongoing awareness and prevention programs.
