Shooting suspect posts bail

Alleged gunman's preliminaryAlleged gunman's preliminaryhearing to be held tomorrow;Alleged gunman's preliminaryhearing to be held tomorrow;Leroy released from hospital The suspect who allegedly shot College senior Patrick Leroy posted bail and was released from jail last Friday, according to District Attorney's office spokesperson Bill Davall. A preliminary hearing into alleged gunman Chris Crawford's case is scheduled for 8 a.m. tomorrow at Philadelphia Police 18th District headquarters. Philadelphia Police also arrested Albert Bandy Monday afternoon for his alleged involvement in last Wednesday morning's incident and charged him with aggravated assault and robbery, said Detective Robert Buck. Leroy was released yesterday afternoon from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, according to HUP spokesperson Kathryn Hankins. As the investigation into Leroy's shooting continues, Public Safety and other departments are proceeding with plans to improve campus safety and help students address their safety concerns. Last night, University Police deployed special teams of veteran officers for the first time. The teams, headed by sergeants, will target violent crime in the area west of 40th Street, University spokesperson Barbara Beck said. In addition, Philadelphia Police officers began patrolling the campus area on foot and in a marked car last night. Counseling and Psychological Services will begin holding support groups later this week for students who have been traumatized and feel unsafe, Director Ilene Rosenstein said. She added that many crime victims have difficulty dealing with the trauma themselves. University Police Investigator Joe Hasara said people who are robbed at gunpoint often focus on the weapon, making their recovery more difficult. The image of the gun barrel often haunts victims in dreams and flashbacks. Concentrating on the weapon also hinders the victim's ability to identify the assailant. Hasara recommended victims focus on the perpetrator's permanent physical features. Victims who do not recall specific details about their assailant often fear anyone who fits the perpetrator's general description, Rosenstein said. She added that it especially helps trauma victims to share their experience with others. "There's something very healing when you know you're not alone and that others are experiencing similar feelings," she said. CAPS doctors will recommend the support groups to selected patients. Staff physician Margaret Fichter, who will facilitate the groups, plans to meet with interested students to determine their needs before assigning them to specific groups, Rosenstein said. Participants will then be placed in groups based on when their trauma occurred, she explained, adding that victims encounter different stages of recovery as time passes. In order to reassure students about campus security, Public Safety is negotiating a contract for the installation of the 66 new blue light phones, set to begin by November 1 and expected to be completed four to eight weeks later, Director of Security Chris Algard said. Contrary to earlier reports, General Telephone and Electric will not supply the new cellular, solar-powered phones, he said. University officials are finalizing a contract with a different company to provide the phones, Algard said. The University is also considering ways to improve the presence of security guards on campus. Executive Vice President John Fry has said University officials hope to contract with a single security company for all guards on campus. Currently, each school selects its own security company to guard their buildings.