Our History

• September 20, 1968 - The birth of the SUNY Public Safety program with the creation of a SUNY security force.
• 1969 - The Education Law puts the jurisdiction of the officers at one mile beyond the campus.
• 1971 - The first “Campus Security” Civil Service exam held. 
• August 1972 - First Campus Security Officer training course held at the NYSP Academy in Albany.
• 1973 - SUNY officers are dressed in brown uniforms to make them distinct from municipal officers.
• 1974 - University at Albany is the first campus security department to be armed.
• 1977 - Adoption of the “Public Safety” model.
• 1978 - Name change from Campus Security to Public Safety.
• 1980 - Public Safety Officers listed as peace officers in the Criminal Procedure Law.
• 1983 - Public Safety Officers empowered to issue appearance tickets.
• 1986 - First Public Safety Officer Academy held at the NYSP Academy.
• 1989 - Change from brown uniforms to blue/gray uniforms.
• 1993 - First legislative proposal to change from peace officers to police officers.
• 1998 - University Police legislation signed into law by Governor Pataki.
• 1999 - SUNY Public Safety becomes the State University Police.
• 2007 - University at Buffalo University Police becomes DCJS accredited.
• 2010 - Stony Brook University Police becomes DCJS accredited.
• 2011 - University at Albany and SUNY Cortland University Police become DCJS accredited.
• 2012 - Alfred State, Buffalo State, and SUNY Oneonta University Police become DCJS accredited.
• 2014 - SUNY Fredonia University Police becomes DCJS accredited.
• 2015 - SUNY Geneseo University Police becomes DCJS accredited.
• 2016 - SUNY Oswego, SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Potsdam University Police becomes DCJS accredited.
• 2018 - SUNY Brockport and SUNY New Paltz become DCJS accredited.
• 2019 - Binghamton University becomes DCJS accredited.
• 2023 - SUNY Canton and SUNY Morrisville become DCJS accredited.