Program for safety praised

The community is applauding University President Judith Rodin's unveiling of major new safety initiatives for the campus and its West Philadelphia vicinity yesterday. Wharton sophomore Jonathan Brightbill, chairperson of Penn Watch, said he is encouraged by the administration's support of student groups like his in the new plan. "We are very pleased that the administration sees the merit and potential within Penn Watch," he said, adding that he thinks student involvement in the implementation of the plan's component is crucial to its success. But Brightbill said that because the student body has shown relatively little interest in security issues, the area of West Philadelphia surrounding the University is unlikely to improve anytime soon. "Unfortunately, it is all too easy for Penn students to hide behind their bursar bills and use that as their excuse for why they are too lazy to get involved," he said. Brightbill did, however, commend various Greek groups and other organizations that have volunteered to work with Penn Watch patrolling the arteries around campus Rodin has designated Community Walks. History Professor Lynn Lees -- who lives at 45th and Pine streets and is active in Penn Faculty and Staff for Neighborhood Issues -- said while she has not yet read Rodin's official statement in yesterday's Almanac, she and PFSNI are in favor of "any University action that will increase street traffic in University City." "[The plan] strikes me as a creative response to the problems of street crime in West Philadelphia," Lees said, adding that increasing the number of pedestrians may get students out of Escort vans and thereby improve the entire neighborhood. Lees also said she bikes to work each day and has found the neighborhood near her home to be "relatively safe as long as one is careful." But according to Lees, street safety is only one element in producing a higher-quality environment for students, faculty and staff in University City. "We look forward to the appearance of this plan but also to?a whole series of measures for increasing the stability of the community," Lees said. Ben Hoyle, the University's deputy director of planning and budget, said funding for the new security initiatives -- including signs and increased lighting on the proposed Community Walks, and more blue light phones on the newly built safety kiosks -- will come from both permanent budget reallocations as well as one-time expenditures. When asked whether the University can afford the several million dollar cost of the new initiatives, Hoyle said not investing resources now could have dire consequences in the years to come. "I think the administration sees safety on this campus as a very high priority," he said, adding that since Rodin's proposed programs will not all be accomplished in one year, related expenditures can be spread out and made more manageable.

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