LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Crime column strikes chord

To the Editor: In the short term, the University must have more police on the street, walking the beat, making their presence visible on campus. The University must hire more undercover police officers to compliment prior successes in this area. All University police must be out and about, not manning the kiosks. The oft-heard administrative solution to the crime problem is to make the area west of campus a bustling center of shopping and activity. This is great, it's fabulous. Hell, it's the best idea I've heard in years. But students cannot be victimized during the transition from ghetto to urban paradise. Businesses will come when they don't fear their 400-lb. safe will be stolen in the middle of the night. Businesses will come when they believe students will patronize their stores and restaurants instead of staying nearer to campus out of fear. Businesses will come after the crime gets better, not before. Hillary Aisenstein College '99 Undergraduate Assembly member n To the Editor: All praise to Adam Mark ("Risking Our Lives?," DP, 9/23/96)! Finally, someone at your paper is willing to speak the truth about our dire security situation. I write to urge that you stand firm as the inevitable wounded backlash and torrent of new excuses comes from the Penn powers that be. When they claim we are only experiencing "normal crime," as Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush did during the first week of school, press them for an official definition of "abnormal." When they blame our troubles on a "free" Escort system that our tuition pays for, as Public Safety Managing Director Thomas Seamon did this summer in the Weekly Press and in recent weeks in Almanac, remind everyone why this service was needed in the first place. When they engage in endless speechifying about the strength of our community, as University President Judith Rodin does every time a microphone approaches, show everyone the real indicator of danger: Eisenlohr is surrounded by tall cast-iron fences. If we're so safe, Rodin should tear down that wall! Spencer Martin Finance Graduate Student Officer's comments anger To the Editor: I am responding to "Four more U. students robbed near campus" (DP, 9/24/96). The story quotes University Police Captain John Richardson as saying that if he had to choose, he would choose which of his children would be mugged, he would pick his son over his daughter because a son "wouldn't do anything dumb, like scream." Does this flaming misogynist have the power to hire, fire or promote employees of the University's Police Department? I hope not, because if he does, his bigoted belief that women cannot handle crises without doing something "dumb" must affect his hiring, firing and promoting policies. Just as troublingly, Richardson felt comfortable making that statement on the record to a DP reporter. Apparently he feels that his contempt for women is tolerated, even shared, by most of those around him. As for muggings in the area, Richardson might try enforcing curfews more vigorously. That would stop local males from doing "dumb" things, like committing armed robberies. Patty Quinn College of General Studies '97 n To the Editor: I have only been at Penn for four weeks, but it seems like everyday when I pick up the DP, I am greeted with yet another article regarding students being robbed at gunpoint on our campus. At first I thought maybe it was just a fluke that all of these students were being attacked is such a short period of time. I cannot believe more than 20 people were robbed on campus in the last three weeks. When I was considering Penn last year, I asked a lot of people about the city and whether it was safe. I always got the same response: "Just don't be stupid and walk alone at night." I took this into consideration and came to the conclusion that the education I would receive at Penn would certainly outweigh any reservations I had about the safety of the campus. I mean, how bad could it be? Well, now I see how bad it is. Many of these attacks happened to two students together; some occurred in broad daylight. But I should be comforted to know that the majority of the attacks happened to males. This is a good trend, according to University Police Captain John Richardson "Four more U. students robbed near campus" (DP, 9/24/96). I should be happy to know women are not becoming victims or prey -- yet. It is a good thing that males are being attacked because they can "handle it better? they won't do anything dumb like scream," something that only a helpless little female student would do. Boy, I feel relieved now. I'll be sure to tell my friends and family about this good trend.? If you ask me, females aren't dumb for screaming. These attackers are dumb for violating students and stealing their property, and the University is dumb for not stopping them. Marlene Lee Boothe Engineering '00 Clearing the record To the Editor: I am writing in response to the Penn community's poor handling of the shooting early Wednesday morning. The September 26, 1996 Daily Pennsylvanian identified Chris Crawford as the gunman, never referring to him as a suspect or alleged gunman. In America, one is not guilty until tried before a trial by jury, or before admitting one's guilt to a grand jury. This is aside from the account of eyewitnesses who identified a man who may have fit Crawford's description. The DP did correctly refer to the other two men possibly involved in the shooting as suspects. Furthermore, in yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer, Penn Public Safety Managing Director Thomas Seamon said Crawford shot Leroy. This irresponsibility by both the DP and Seamon could lead to complications in a trial. The DP, a respected publication, has already declared Crawford guilty. How can Crawford ever receive a fair and impartial trial by members of the community if he has already been pronounced guilty? This proclamation by the DP could also hurt the newspaper financially in a lawsuit by Crawford claiming defamation of character. Then there is Seamon, who openly declares to the Inquirer that Crawford shot Leroy. Seamon, a former deputy Philadelphia Police Commissioner, was very careless in disregarding a suspect's rights. How does Seamon have any clue that Crawford shot Leroy? Was he at the scene Wednesday morning? Obviously not. David Brown Engineering and Wharton '98