The Division of Public Safety was created in the spring of 2022, integrating Cornell public safety services and units on the Ithaca campus into a single organization. This comprehensive approach prioritizes transparency and empathy in delivery of public safety services, recruitment of community-focused employees, and training focused on contemporary issues such as de-escalation, procedural justice, and trauma-informed interactions with our community.

The new division works with the Public Safety Advisory Committee, university leadership, and the campus community, developing next steps in the ongoing public safety effort.

The new Division of Public Safety comprises the Cornell University Police Department, Cornell’s Public Safety Communications Center, the Access Control Program, the Clery Act Compliance Office, the Office of Emergency Management, and the student-led Emergency Medical Service. In the fall, the Community Response Team will also move into this new division. These changes establish the framework for a holistic, equitable, and sustainable public safety approach on our campus. My job will focus on continuing the principles I have held my entire career to make sure that we have a safe campus and that we devote the right resources to that safety and feeling of well-being.

Dave Honan
Associate Vice President for Public Safety