Campus crime drops over break

Crime during spring break dropped in comparison to the same period last year, with only one serious incident, a short list of minor thefts and one count of indecent exposure. Ten criminal incidents were reported to University Police between March 9 and March 19, down from the 12 incidents that were reported during spring break last year. Interim Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush attributed the low spring break crime rates to a free service the Penn Police Department offers over vacation periods. Students living off campus can let the police know they will be gone over a break, and have officers on every shift perform special checks on their residences. "We think this is a great idea," Rush said. "Criminals know when people are away. This program, it's like having an insurance policy." She said that on average, only one to two crimes occur during vacations in areas that are under police surveillance. "The success rate has been clear," Rush said. The most serious incident reported over break was a robbery that occurred on March 10 on the 4000 block of Walnut Street. University Police picked up a report called in to the Philadelphia Police that a man was robbed at knifepoint and stabbed at about 9 p.m. that night. The victim, who is not affiliated with the University, was found near 39th and Warren streets and taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He was treated for three stab wounds, none of which were fatal. The alleged assailants were described as three African-American males, each roughly six feet tall, and wearing dark hooded sweatshirts and dark clothes. The three men took the victim's leather jacket and $20 in cash. In another incident, a female University student reported that a man attempted to grab her purse while she was walking near 39th and Chestnut streets on March 15 at about 4:20 p.m. The man failed in his attempt to take the purse and was later stopped by police near 36th and Chestnut streets. The woman identified William McNeil, 19, in connection with the crime, and he was arrested. An incident of indecent exposure was reported by a woman who is unaffiliated with the University. The woman reported that around noon on March 9, she was walking on 32nd Street when a man stepped out from behind a parked truck and dropped his pants. The man was described as a white male in his 20s, 6'2" and weighing about 200 pounds. The March 9 incident is one of several reports of indecent exposure this semester, all occurring in the same area. An employee at a Penn-owned parking garage located at 3665 Market Street reported that on March 10, four white men driving a tan 1998 Toyota Camry refused to pay the parking fee and then drove through the gate. There was one theft from a vehicle parked in a lot at 3335 Chestnut Street, two minor thefts from University buildings and three bicycle thefts also reported over the break. Police officials said crime has been down in general, not just during spring break. Deputy Chief of Investigations Bill Danks noted that in December of 1999, 148 incidents were reported compared to 59 in December of 2000. And in January of 2001, only 64 incidents were reported -- down from 98 in January of 2000. "It's a combination of efforts between the UPPD, the Philadelphia Police Department and the University City District," Danks said. "There's a trend showing that something is working."

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