Public safety dept. to move

The University of Pennsylvania Police Department will undergo several changes and renovations in the upcoming months. Managing Director Thomas Seamon confirmed reports that the division of Public Safety is looking to acquire space to expand current facilities. Seamon said yesterday that the division is "close to acquiring an existing building in the area" which, according to a May 30 Weekly Press article, is located at the west end of campus, on the 4100 block of Chestnut or Walnut street. Seamon said the reason for the move is to consolidate all parts of Public Safety into one location. "Public Safety is currently housed in three separate buildings, none of which were designed for law enforcement and security functions," he said. The UPPD and Public Safety administration offices are now housed in buildings on Locust Walk. The Victim Support/Special Services Units, however, is located on the 3900 block of Walnut Street. Seamon added that a new facility is needed "to support the new security technology being introduced on campus." The UPPD has also made the decision to arm its officers with semi-automatic weapons -- a proposal long disputed in the department. But, despite the negative response from some UPPD and University community members, Penn Police will still join the likes of almost every police department in the country -- including most university police departments -- with officers carrying automatic weapons. Seamon also said the UPPD is now striving to meet National Police Accreditation standards. "Sergeant Michael Fink, who has been with the UPPD for years, has been selected as the Accreditation Manager," Seamon said. Fink will supervise the effort to come up to national police standards. Fink, however, was not available to comment on what measures the UPPD must take to reach this accreditation level. Seamon added that the UPPD will most likely hire some new officers in the future to "maintain staffing levels." He also dispelled a rumor that the department is building a homeless shelter near campus in an effort to reduce the number of panhandlers on the campus. But he said that panhandlers are always a concern "because of their impact on quality of life issues." "Public Safety will continue to work with the Office of Community Affairs to reduce the number of panhandlers on campus," he said.