Public Safety under fire for status of Special Srvcs.

A number of professors have criticized Penn's handling of the victim support agency. Claiming that Penn's main victim support unit has undergone a "systematic dismantling" over the past few years, several faculty members have taken a vocal stand against top officials from the Division of Public Safety, who they claim are responsible. In last week's edition of the Almanac -- the University's journal of record -- a dozen members of the Board of the Association of Women Faculty and Administrators wrote a column seriously criticizing changes within Special Services, an agency inside Public Safety that deals mainly with issues faced by crime victims. Special Services had undergone a series of changes in the past year. Susan Hawkins, the agency's first director with a background in psychology rather than police work, resigned over the summer after a tenure of over two years. Prior to that, the position had been filled by current University Police Chief Maureen Rush. Additionally, investigators working in the department were recently transferred into the main University Police detective unit. Among the topics discussed in the Almanac column were decreased collaboration between Special Services and University administrators, Special Services' repeated physical relocations over the past few years and the pressing need to fill the director position, currently filled on an interim basis by Penn Det. Supervisor Patricia Brennan. The column also charged that Vice President for Public Safety Tom Seamon -- to whom Special Services ultimately reports -- has failed to effectively communicate with the rest of the University community about issues within Special Services. Seamon wrote a rebuttal which appeared alongside the column. Rather than responding to the specific concerns, it focused mainly on the search for a new director and the importance of filling the post. This is not the first time Seamon has found himself under fire from victim advocacy groups. In the spring, several campus women's groups put up posters around campus proclaiming that "Seamon does not see women," because of what they perceived was his lack of response to women's safety issues. Biochemistry Professor Phoebe Leboy, who acted as the unofficial spokesperson for the faculty group, said that she was generally dissatisfied with Seamon's response. "I have additional concerns," Leboy said. "It's disappointing that Mr. Seamon didn't respond to the many other issues we raised." Leboy explained that as one of the founders of Special Services -- originally named Victim Support and Special Services -- more than a quarter-century ago, she has a vested interest in the future of the unit. The unit was created to respond to a series of attacks on women in the 1970s and subsequent protests requesting that such a department be formed. However, Public Safety's critics say that the unit's mission has strayed from its original intent. But Seamon maintains that aside from the search for a new director everything at Special Services remains business as usual. "There's no deviation from the central theme from many years ago that was so important for the treatment of victims on campus," Seamon said. "We think we need an advocate for that. Special Services needs a director." Leboy stressed that finding a person with well-rounded qualifications to suit the nature of the position is imperative. "Will the search specify an individual that has both formal police training and the ability to present compassion towards victims the way the original directors did?" Leboy asked. "It's got to be a balance that one might think is unattainable but we in fact know it is attainable because we've had several fantastic directors," she added. Hawkins, who now works for Penn as a clinical psychologist, said it was important that the director be able to bridge the gaps between the investigation and support aspects of Public Safety. "I feel like having a functionally independent director of Special Services who works closely with the police and works closely with victims is critical," Hawkins said. "That role needs to be more than just a police official who tries to be nice and supportive of victims." Leboy also complained about the physical location of the division, saying that moving the unit further from campus -- from the building in at 3914 Locust Walk currently occupied by Civic House to the Public Safety headquarters at 4040 Chestnut Street -- makes seeking help more difficult for potential victims. "If you put yourself in the position of somebody who has recently been victimized and you ask them to go to Chestnut Street, close to 41st Street, to report it, that's not a good location," Leboy said. Hawkins acknowledged that Special Services would probably be better suited closer to campus but that housing the unit in police headquarters is also important in order to facilitate communication with Public Safety. "It's a trade-off," Hawkins said.