SIDEBAR: Some officers blame patrol changes

In the wake of the brutal attack of a College of General Studies student Wednesday night, some University Police officers are blaming patrol shifts instituted a month ago for a general rise in crime on and around campus. The patrol changes put officers at fixed posts on Locust Walk and major campus thoroughfares to increase visibility. "As I said in the DP last month, if you keep the officers on Locust Walk, [crimes like these are] going to happen again," said University Police Officer Bill Kane, president of the University Fraternal Order of Police. "And I stand by my statements of a month ago." "You're going to have major incidents on Walnut, Spruce and Chestnut [streets]," he said. "I don't want to say I told you so, but I told you so." Kuprevich says the complaints are unfounded, and he is standing by his patrol shift. "There is absolutely no correlation," between the crime and the patrol change, Kuprevich said. "And I would challenge anyone to show me the correlation." Kuprevich said although the incident was "egregious," the priority of University Police has to be the inner campus. "What would have been the reaction if what happened had happened at 37th and Locust Walk," he said. He added that University Police presence in the area bordering campus is more than adequate. "We did not take anyone away from the street," he said. "We are still there." Some officers, however, disagree. One officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, believes Wednesday's crime can be directly linked to the patrol shifts. "It's very obvious," he said. "Look what happened. If the man is stationed here, the incidents will happen right off campus." He added that criminals know the officers' schedules and where they're posted. "The fixed post is at 34th and Smith Walk, and [the officer] stands there for eight hours," he said, noting Wednesday's assault happened about a block from that post. "The crime is just going to move a block away," he said. Wednesday's attack occurred less than a month after an attempted rape of a University student that also happened less than a block from campus, near 40th and Walnut streets. Some officers also say they feel there are not enough patrol cars on the street, and that the cars they have often break down and are out of service. Kuprevich said there are three patrol cars on the streets at all times. Large crimes, however, often require at least two cars, leaving the rest of the campus and community unprotected, officers say. And of the other officers on campus, many are at court appearances, working in victim support, or at the fixed posts.