GUEST COLUMN: "Safe Travels, Happy Travels"

University Police has been working to their fullest abilities to increase safety on and off the Penn campus. While they have been very successful in many of their efforts, they can not focus on all problems at once, and crime still continues to plague the campus. According to the November 3 issue of The Almanac, the Penn community suffered 54 thefts for the week beginning October 26 -- including 15 thefts of bicycles and parts, 14 crimes against persons and nine burglaries. The news is very depressing. One of the messages found on many of University Police's excellent brochures and pamphlets simply states, "Safety - Everyone's right, everyone's responsibility." Clearly, students must take an active role in ensuring their safety, and the Penn police department wants to work with students to increase their safety. They are doing their jobs for the students, and do not wish to be seen as the "bad guys." They are putting their lives on the line daily to catch the real bad guys. With our thorough transit systems, over 200 blue-light phones on and off-campus, a comprehensive victim support service and the other components of the department, it is no wonder that "USA Today" recently awarded Penn the highest possible scores for overall crime prevention and for rape crisis response. Unfortunately, we have had a rough fall so far. The bicycle theft crisis is being attacked, and University Police has been making more arrests than it ever has in the past for bike thefts. In light of the thefts, the Undergraduate Assembly, along with Victim Support, is coordinating a bike registration drive for November 17 to 19 on Locust Walk. Registration is a strong deterrent against theft. The procedure, which takes a matter of minutes, includes engraving the owner's social security number on the frame and each of the wheels, and filling out a card pertaining to the bike which can be used for insurance purposes. A bright orange sticker is also affixed on a visible part of the frame. Every bike owner should own a registered bike. It is the only way to track the bike after a theft. In addition to bicycle issues, the UA Safety and Security Committee has an interest in all safety matters pertaining to the University. We are working for you. In our committee, you have a resource for safety concerns. Should the lighting be better on the 40th and Pine block? Tell us. Do we need more bike racks near the engineering buildings? Tell us. Do you think you know how the Escort System should be fine tuned? Tell us. Are you pissed about the amount of crime on campus? Tell us. Do you have any kind of recommendation? Tell us. Do you want to help in improving campus safety? Tell us. As fellow students, we understand people's concerns and have a strong desire to make Penn a safer community for all members. Especially with the Thanksgiving break, a time of low campus occupancy rapidly approaching, we would like to make some specific recommendations to people. Register your bike. Do not lock it outside during break. During break, off-campus residents may wish to move their valuables to friends' rooms in campus dorms. Keep your bike in your building during the winter. Securely close and lock every opening to your dwelling before break. Never hesitate to contact University Police when you feel it to be appropriate. They would rather find your call to be without incident than to come out later to file a report. Be aware. Ride Escort. Walk in groups. No one is a wimp for not wanting to walk alone. Let us all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Mark Frederick is a junior Accounting and Finance major from Bedford, Massachusetts, and chairperson of the Undergraduate Assembly's Safety and Security Committee. The committee can be reached at 898-8908.

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