Division of Public Safety holds biannual commendation

Last night, the Division of Public Safety held its biannual Police Department Oath of Office and Division of Public Safety Commendation Ceremony at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine.

Throughout the night, various members of the Penn Police, PennComm, AlliedBarton Security and community residents were given merit awards in recognition of their noble work.

Later, the guests — consisting mainly of Penn and Philadelphia police officers, family members and honored civilians — rose for the Pledge of Allegiance and a formal invocation by Rev. Charles Howard, University Chaplain.

Howard applauded the police forces for their courage, which, he said, is sorely needed among citizens today.

Maureen Rush, Vice President for Public Safety, then continued by calling Joseph Marone to the stage to take his official oath of office.

University Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli pointed to a stellar example of the University’s teamwork during what he referred to as a “little rain storm we had a couple of months ago, Hurricane Sandy.”

Carnaroli applauded the remarkable coordination of all of Penn’s forces during this time of uncertainty. He stated that during the storm, countless student calls were made to Penn’s Division of Public Safety inquiring whether or not it was safe to go outside.

Carnaroli further acknowledged that a principal factor when considering which school to attend is safety, and the Penn Police force should be credited for Penn’s continuous success.

Mark Dorsey, chief of police, then presented multiple merit commendations for UPPD detectives and officers.

One such award was given to UPPD detective Philip Lydon for his discovery of a thief responsible for stealing many electronic items from Harnwell and Harrison college houses.

Additional awards and commendatory letters were given to various civilians to thank them for their good deeds and support.

According to Rush, this biannual event serves as a formal recognition of the brave and intelligent deeds performed by officers on a daily basis.

Rush noted, however, that Penn students do a great job of recognizing the security forces and this evening does not serve to make up for any lack of gratitude.

In April, the second ceremony, which is run in part by the Undergraduate Assembly and Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, will take place and will also recognize students and groups on campus.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.