SU updates hazing policy, reports increased vehicle thefts in annual safety memo
SU’s annual Safety and Security Report for 2025 shows a spike in vehicle thefts and updates to university hazing policy. Released Wednesday, the data outlines fewer reported on-campus bias incidents than both years prior, and more relationship violence. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer
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Editor’s note: This article contains mention of sexual assault and domestic violence.
An uptick in vehicle thefts and a new hazing policy highlight the most significant changes in Syracuse University’s 2025 Safety and Security Report.
The report, shared in a Wednesday campus-wide email, complies with The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, which requires universities to share crime statistics and safety resources annually by Oct. 1.
SU’s crime data is also available on the United States Department of Education’s website.
The Wednesday email, signed by SU Senior Vice President and Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Brett Padgett, referred to the report as “one of the many ways” the university shares campus crime data and resources.
“We urge you to familiarize yourself with the report’s information, resources and services,” the email said. “And we ask that you be a vigilant partner in our ongoing and collective efforts to maintain a safe environment where all our community members can thrive.”
Here are some key takeaways from the report:
The data
SU documented 49 vehicle thefts in 2024, a spike from a reported 31 in 2023 and 12 the year before. According to the report, the documented rise of motor vehicle thefts in 2023 came from “an increased presence of electric scooters/bikes on campus,” referring to SU’s introduction of Veo, an electric scooter and bike sharing service close to campus.
Electric scooters and bikes are considered motorized vehicles under the Clery Act, the report states.
Cases of “dating violence” also increased to 12 cases compared to eight in 2023, according to the report. Domestic violence, however, remains at zero cases as it has for the past three years. Reported rape cases dropped from 16 in 2023 to just six in 2o24.
While reported liquor law violations — such as underage drinking — have decreased by over 11% since 2022, drug law violations went up from five cases in 2022 to 23 in 2024. Drug law violations include making, selling, buying, having and using illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia.
There were two bias incidents recorded in 2024, a notable decrease from four in 2023 and nine in 2022.
The report also documents a decrease in Department of Public Safety employees, with “more than 160 employees” in 2025 compared to “more than 200 employees” in 2024.
New hazing policy
The 2025 report includes a new “overview of hazing policy and procedures” section, which outlines the university’s definition of hazing, the protocol for reporting incidents and the investigation process.
The updated section comes 11 months after SU suspended fraternity Phi Kappa Psi when videos of a hazing event went viral on social media. The university also investigated Psi Upsilon last year, placing the fraternity on interim suspension.
The overview highlights an over 300-word definition of hazing, which includes any university-affiliated organization endangering members as a condition of joining. Organizations that haze are at risk of sanctions such as suspension and disaffiliation from the university, along with referral to city law enforcement, the report states.
To report a crime or an emergency, call DPS at 315-443-2224, text or email 711@syr.edu or use the Silent Witness Tool.
