Life Style: Safe on the job

JENNIFER BURKE and JASON STOVEN You're scurrying along a menacingly dark and desolate Locust Walk when suddenly you spy two uniformed police officers on bikes. You think to yourself, the campus must be safer now than in past years when fewer officers were visible, right? Maybe, maybe not. But the reality of our surroundings is that many students say they do not feel safe more than a few feet from Locust Walk, no matter how many officers there are. And recent changes in University Police patrols have heightened the sense of danger among some students who live off campus and frustrated many officers as well. "My own personal bodyguard would be the only thing to make me feel safer," says Wharton freshman George Holt. Given that reality, students must take more responsibility for their personal safety. And despite the popular view that men are more than able to defend themselves, Justice Department statistics reveal that men are assaulted nearly twice as often as females. Even so, student victim support groups report that women are far more likely to take advantage of resources such as self-defense classes, Escort Service, and victim counseling. Most women agree that the best course of action in a mugging situation is to cooperate with the mugger. "Of course, I would give up my money and jewelry, anything that would keep me from being hurt. Money is expendable, my life is not," College freshman Amity Zeh says. Many men, however, appear less willing to respond passively in such situations – a risky approach. According to Rose Hooks, assistant director of Victim Support and Services, men have false perceptions about their ability to defend themselves. "I hear most male students say, 'I'm a strong male, I can take care of myself,'" says Hooks. "I would definitely fight the guy. Or I'd give up, depending on how big he or his weapon was," Wharton freshman Justin Ramsey said. That sort of waffling is characteristic of the way many male students view crime. Some men say they consider Escort to be "stupid" and say they would not take a self-defense class even after being assaulted. At the same time, Hooks says, some men are beginning to accept their vulnerability. "There has been an increase in the number of [male] students who do seek counseling," she said. Hooks offers this advice for students to protect themselves: "Be aware of where you are and what you are doing. If you're drinking, be aware that alcohol can diminish your safety consciousness. Don't take it like, 'it can never happen to me.'" A recent change in University Police patrols has heightened some students' concerns about student safety around campus, though University Police insist the area is safe. For the past month, officer patrols have focused on Locust Walk and other campus spots, and officers are stationed throughout the day at specific posts. But some say the high visibility of officers on Locust Walk has provided a virtual invitation for criminals to target the less-patrolled areas of Spruce, Chestnut and Walnut streets – a little too close for comfort for some students, faculty and officers. One officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "I don't consider Chestnut, Walnut, and Spruce off campus, do you?" Moreover, statistics compiled by police show an increase in robberies this year compared to the same period last year. There were 29 robberies last month, compared to 16 in September 1992. Most crimes in 1992 were committed in "high risk" areas, defined as west of 40th Street and off campus as beyond Pine and Chestnut. Since the implementation of this new policy, areas which had been relatively safe are patrolled less often. University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich could not be reached for comment. But Lt. George Clisby said the reasoning behind this new patrol policy was "visibility" – if would-be criminals see more police officers in uniform, they would be less willing to commit crimes. The new policy, he said, was "a different strategy to try to address the issues that face us." But one officer, also speaking on condition of anonymity, called the change "a bad move." In his view, the change was made because "[administration] big shots complained that they didn't see the police on campus during the day time." As a result, "the day shift was increased to 13 uniformed officers," despite the fact that, according to him, very little crime had ever occurred on Locust Walk during the day. Officers stationed on Locust Walk are able to walk in a T-pattern. "Theoretically, if I saw something happening half a block from my post, I would not be able to leave my post to help," said one officer. Prior to the implementation of the new policy, officers patrolled areas as wide as four blocks, which they claim greatly enhanced their ability to prevent crime. In addition to the new assignments, some officers are unhappy with their police equipment. "Our equipment is outdated, the cars are in really bad shape with brakes and stuff, and a lot of overtime means the radio batteries are low and won't transmit," said one officer. Another officer said, "There are 18-year-olds out there with Tec-9's [semi-automatic weapons]. What do I have to combat that with? I have a .38 caliber, six-shot revolver." Dan Pariser, a College junior, knows first-hand about semi-automatic weapons. He said he and a housemate were robbed at gunpoint around 4 p.m. by two men while walking home after the Penn-Dartmouth football game. The incident happened near 40th and Sansom streets before the change of policy. Officers who patrol campus have strong opinions about which methods work best and offered several recommendations on crime prevention. One officer said the undercover team known as CAT (Crime Abatement Team), which he said had a nearly 100-percent conviction rate while operational, should be reinstated. Kuprevich temporarily disbanded the undercover unit in April, citing a need to focus on long-term proactive policing. The officer also said the administration should make better use of existing resources. For example, more police cars should be on the streets and officers should be allowed to patrol neighborhoods rather than remain stationary on Locust Walk, he said. Also, the radios used by the Penn police are outdated – not only are they unable to transmit from certain key locations on campus, but they cannot contact Philadelphia police. This slows response time to aid students and officers in distress. Still, many students feel that with a little intelligence, they can be safe on the streets. "Walking home late at night, you're asking for trouble," Pariser said. "But you can't lock yourself in your room either. Students shouldn't really have to worry about being attacked while walking home from classes."