Student recounts robbery scare

Kevin O'Brien had never seen an Uzi automatic assault rifle before last Wednesday. But as the College junior was walking to his home at 40th and Walnut streets after a night of studying last week, he saw his first one. At approximately 11 p.m., O'Brien was robbed at gunpoint by two men, one wielding the automatic weapon. "One guy was like, give me your wallet," he said. "I told him that I didn't have a wallet, and then he said, 'I don't think you know what I mean,' and he pulled out this Uzi. Then the other guy was feeling me down." O'Brien said the gunman instructed his partner to take his book bag. "The guy behind me threw it on his back like he was a student, and they started walking toward the DP building," he said. "I said, 'Come on man, it's just books,' and he said, 'Walk for your life,' and he walked off through the parking lot next to the DP." After calling 911 from Lee's Hoagie House, O'Brien said police took four minutes to respond -- he timed it -- because they were in the middle of a shift change. "They mentioned that 11 o'clock was the change over and that's why there was a delay," O'Brien said. In this "changing of the guard" period, University Police keep what are called the "early out shift" on the street -- which is usually comprised of three to four officers -- University Police Chief George Clisby has said in the past. To keep adequate police coverage in the area, though, University Police changes its shift one hour before Philadelphia Police, with the hope that the city police officers will compensate for the lack of University Police on the street. The shift change policy came under fire in July, after University Police failed to respond to a burglary in progress at 39th and Spruce streets. In that incident, a student called University Police when she witnessed a man climbing in her window. When no officer had shown up 10 minutes later, she called back and was instructed to call Philadelphia Police because there were not enough University Police officers on the streets. The student said she was told that all the officers on the street at the time were busy with a robbery. O'Brien said shortly after University Police responded, plain clothes Philadelphia Police officers stopped two suspects. The two were later released by police. "If I was a freshman and this incident occurred, I would transfer," he said. "Being a junior, I have to keep an optimistic approach. I learned a valuable lesson without it being a priceless experience." From now on, O'Brien said he will definitely use Escort Services to go between destinations. In addition, O'Brien said he planned to contact University Officials about the 4000 block of Walnut Street, which he says is very dark and has a lot of overgrown shrubs. "I could look out the window now and see where I was mugged and it's ridiculous," he said. "I could have been getting a hoagie, for all it mattered."