Mini-station opens doors amid fanfare

Capping off 57 days of intensive renovations, the Division of Public Safety consolidated several operations and increased its visibility Friday by formally opening its new $300,000 mini-station on 40th Street. The location between Burger King and Smokey Joe's -- which was vacated by Marty's discount store approximately four years ago -- will house Public Safety's Special Services and bicycle patrol units, in addition to Sensormatic Electronics Corporation's campus security headquarters. But Public Safety will only occupy the location until December 1997 or January 1998, when the division will move all of its operations to a new headquarters on the 4000 block of Chestnut Street. Executive Vice President John Fry said that following the move to the new headquarters, the mini-station will house the nascent University City Special Services unit, a partnership of Penn, Drexel University and several other police and community organizations. Friday's cocktail reception and opening ceremony featured short speeches from officials and students praising the new facility as well as University efforts to reduce crime on and around campus. "This is a mini-station, but I think its impact on the University is going to be anything but mini," University President Judith Rodin said. "We really do expect it just to have tremendous effects everywhere." The mini-station is located approximately one block from the spot where College senior Patrick Leroy was shot in September as he fled a robbery attempt at 40th and Locust streets. Fry also announced further improvements to 40th Street such as an overhaul of the Hamilton Village shops facade, new Center City District-style lighting and blue-light phones "up and down the entire corridor." "Fortieth Street is one of the most important streets to this university," Fry said, adding that "both the community and the University have a huge interest in making sure that it's a safe and exciting and wonderful place to be." The mini-station -- which is divided into Police Services on one side and the Special Services unit on the other -- features a bright, green-and-pink pastel motif and neon signs, contrasting in appearance with the older Public Safety facilities in Superblock. Architect Harris Steinberg, who holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University and designed the mini-station, said workers toiled on the new facility literally up to the last minute, completing its paint job shortly before the reception began. And although Public Safety has been using the facility for two weeks, some areas are still incomplete, such as a room containing a bank of empty television terminals which will soon house Sensormatic's electronic security command center. Dick Saunders, a senior account manager for Sensormatic, explained that all alarm systems and blue-light telephones will be wired directly to the room. Other services housed in the mini-station include Spectaguard's campus headquarters, PennWatch and Walking Escort. PennWatch President Jon Brightbill, a Wharton senior, said the new facility will probably not impact his student-run townwatch organization, although the location is "more prominent" than the former mini-station at 3927 Walnut Street. "From a functional perspective it's the same for us," he said. Other West Philadelphia community members at the grand-opening ceremony praised University administrators and community groups for working together on the new facility and other projects. City Councilperson and West Philadelphia resident Jannie Blackwell, commended the University for striving "to form a relationship with the community that will take us into the year 2000 and beyond." And Courtney Fine, chairperson of the Undergraduate Assembly's Safety Committee, said she hopes the mini-station will encourage more students to frequent 40th Street. "Unfortunately, it is unlikely that crime will ever be completely eradicated," the College sophomore said. "The students, however, pledge their full support in making this center as successful as we know it will be."

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