EDITORIAL: Money well spent

Futuristic security and EscortFuturistic security and Escortimprovements are warrantedFuturistic security and Escortimprovements are warrantedand worth their cost.Futuristic security and Escortimprovements are warrantedand worth their cost._______________________________ University President Judith Rodin's actions -- her work in finally cementing the contract with Sensormatic, her assurance of funding for new patrol officers and Escort vans, her decision to open a toll-free number to take calls from concerned parents and alumni -- speak more loudly than any sound bites on the evening news or in town hall meetings. Even better, Rodin and student leaders -- both undergraduate and graduate -- have impressed on Mayor Ed Rendell the dire needs of his alma mater. His commitment of city workers for a "Partners in Progress" sweep is one the neighborhood has sorely needed. We will all benefit from the cleaner, safer streets these workers uncover under when they remove trash and graffiti. Rodin has realized that the University's future depends on the broader, national community's perception of a satisfactory quality of life on and near campus, as much as on the actual quality of life here. And she is taking positive, proactive steps to improve that quality. Most of us were attracted to Penn because of its proximity to and symbiotic existence with the city of Philadelphia. Many of us have reconsidered these feelings over the past few weeks, as our anger and fear have loomed in the forefront of our minds. Building a wall around campus -- like the ones that surround the Harvard Yard or Yale's residential colleges -- might have made everyone feel safer, but it surely would not have been the right thing to do, given Penn's unique history and traditions. The new security measures are the best possible way to maximize on-campus safety without installing a permanent police state in University City.