Security squads merged

To reduce overlapping patrols and increase efficiency, Penn merged several of its contracted security personnel into the University City District's safety ambassador program last week. The deal has increased the number of safety ambassadors -- the UCD's yellow-shirted community patrol force -- from 34 to 46 while decreasing the number of security guards managed by the University. And, not surprisingly, both Penn and UCD officials say they are confident the development will lead to more efficient security coverage in University City. "Making one large, coordinated security group made so much sense," Vice President for Public Safety Thomas Seamon said. He stressed the effectiveness of having the two forces, whose patrols often overlapped in the past, under one command. "We're going to have a coordinated force that can move around quickly and cover a lot of area," he said. The partnership has only affected Penn's public patrol guards, Seamon pointed out, and will not change the way campus security forces in classroom and residential buildings are operated. The deal was facilitated by the fact that both Penn and the UCD contract with Allied-Spectaguard Security for their patrol forces. With both entities using the same agency, the merger became simply a matter of administrative shuffling. In addition, security personnel at Drexel University are also managed by Allied-Spectaguard -- a fact that will enable the UCD, Penn and Drexel to work together in safety initiatives. "Drexel is a major partner," UCD Executive Director Paul Steinke said. And while Drexel does not have neighborhood patrols, Steinke noted that the safety ambassadors' normal routes extend into the Drexel campus. "The safer Drexel is, the safer we are," he said. Seamon agreed, citing historical trends of crime across both campuses. "The person who is at Drexel one week stealing bicycles is at Penn the next week," he said. "It only makes sense to unify the security." With the enlarged safety ambassador force and patrols that extend throughout University City until 3 a.m., Steinke said he hopes crime -- which has been at an all-time low for the past few years -- will continue to drop. "We think this is an enhancement that will reinforce and extend the trend of declining crime," he said

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