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THURSDAY
oct. 1, 2015 high 61°, low 41°
t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k |
N • Fill the bill
dailyorange.com
P • Pizza, pizza
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed two bills into law that aim to help victims of sexual assault. The bills are extensions of the “Enough is Enough” legislation. Page 3
Syracuse University alumnus Scott Wiener owns the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of pizza boxes and gives pizza shop tours in New York City. Page 9
S • Thin ice
Syracuse women’s ice hockey continues to play in Tennity Ice Pavillion despite sharing the facility with club teams, intramural teams and the general public. Page 16
NOW RECORDING DPS implements body camera program to promote accountability Text by Anna Merod staff writer
Photo by Bridget Williams staff photographer
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even-hundred-and-forty-one people in the United States have been shot and killed by police in 2015 as of Wednesday, according to data from The Washington Post. Twenty-eight of them were black and unarmed. As the stories of marginalized lives lost to police shootings and broken communities grow in the United States, Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety has chosen to proactively implement body cameras, beginning Thursday, in order to foster more accountability and trust. Of DPS’ 42 officers, the 36 officers who are armed will be required to wear a body camera on duty at all times. However, the cameras will only turn on when an officer is interacting with someone from the community, said DPS Chief Bobby Maldonado. Officers will inform every person they interact with that they are wearing a body camera, Maldonado said. The camera must remain on throughout the entire interaction, even if there is a request to turn the camera off, he added. Maldonado said he believes body cameras should be implemented across police forces nationwide to hold officers accountable. “It’s almost on both sides — whether it’s law enforcement or the public — that there’s a misconception that police officers’ role is one of a crime fighter, when in reality, their role is one of a peacekeeper,” he said. DPS began a trial program for the body cameras last year under former DPS Chief Tony Callisto.
CAMERA DETAILS Size: 3 in x 2.1 in x .85 in Weight: 2.8 oz Features: Waterproof 16 GB internal storage 5 hour recording time
The trial began in the wake of the death of Mike Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old who was shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Since then, more cases of police brutality against marginalized communities have made headlines. One of the more recent cases was the fatal shooting of Sam Dubose, a 43-year-old black man, by a white University of Cincinnati officer on July 19 during a routine traffic stop. The officer, Ray Tensing, was indicted on a murder charge for Dubose’s death. Tensing and other officers’ body
cameras captured the shooting, as well. There has never been a DPS-related shooting on or near the SU campus. Though Maldonado said he likes to think that DPS has a history of strong, proactive community policing, the body cameras will ideally further that trust. “It’s better to foster good relations with your community, because there are going to be times — obviously as you can see now — when some event sparks controversy amongst law enforcement and the public, and I think it’s easier to get through those times when you’ve already enjoyed a good relationship with the public,” Maldonado said. Body cameras were introduced to police forces about 10 to 12 years ago, said William Taylor, the president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement. However, the equipment is only now trending nationwide, Taylor said, because of the growing number of stories highlighting issues of racial see body
cameras page 6
Lt. Gov. Hochul gives ‘Enough is Enough’ presentation at SU By Sara Swann asst. news editor
New York state Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul came to Syracuse University on Wednesday to give a presentation about the “Enough
is Enough” legislation and raise awareness about the new law. A crowd of about 50 to 60 people attended the presentation at 2 p.m., which lasted about 30 minutes and took place in Eggers Hall Room 220. Among those in attendance were
Chancellor Kent Syverud, University College Dean Bea González and several Department of Public Safety officers, in addition to other SU officials and members of the SU community. Sheila Johnson-Willis, interim chief officer for equal opportunity
and Title IX coordinator, welcomed the crowd and thanked several SU administrators for being there. Rachel Martin, a peer educator for the Office of Health Promotions and a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, spoke next about rais-
ing awareness about sexual assault prevention both as a peer educator and a student. Martin then introduced Hochul, who was the main speaker during the presentation. Hochul, an SU alumna, said she
see hochul page 6