University Police will be running just a few steps behind the world's greatest in track and field this weekend as they oversee security for the 107th Penn Relays, which officially kick off today.
"We've been working furiously with plans for Penn Relays," Police Chief Maureen Rush said.
Penn Police has contracted 35 officers and supervisors from the Philadelphia Police Department to help out during the weekend.
Penn Athletics will provide '0 staff members of their own to aid security on Thursday and Friday.
"We work with [Penn Police] every year," Athletic Department spokeswoman Carla Shultzberg said. "They've been a great help to us, and we have a pretty good relationship with them."
Penn Athletics will be employing a private security firm as well.
Two of the biggest issues authorities will face over the weekend are the scalping of tickets, counterfeit merchandise and clean-up.
"A couple years ago, we were having major problems with scalping tickets," said Rush, who is also the interim vice president for public safety.
"Penn Athletics looked at different kinds of water marks for their tickets to make them a little harder to duplicate," she added.
Detectives have kept close watch, arresting scalpers and confiscating all of their tickets, which then go back to Penn Athletics.
"Last year 50 to 70 tickets were recovered, and two or three scalpers were arrested and processed," Deputy Chief of Investigation William Danks said.
Danks attributes these arrests to the presence of plainclothes officers who patrol the Relays from 10 a.m. until the events are over.
He also noted the many University Police detectives who work over the weekend.
Rush said trademark items such as T-shirts are also scalped.
"The United States Marshal's Office will be active in the campus area working in conjunction athletics and Penn Police" to help control the problem, she said.
Cleaning up the massive amounts of trash that accumulates during Relays has also become a University Police priority.
"A couple years ago, the issue with Penn Relays became the quality of life issues that occurred after Penn Relays -- namely trash," Rush said.
"It's been fine-tuned year after year, and I think it's going to be the best this year," she said, noting that the Division of Public Safety has worked in conjunction with a number of other groups to formulate a plan for clean-up that focuses on the major nights of the event.
"Friday and Saturday are the worst," she said.
Penn Police will also be watching out for the numerous young visitors who attend the Relays.
"School police are also in the loop, as there are always groups of school children that are brought down," Rush said.
"There used to be a lot of problems with the kids getting lost, wandering around, and getting in fights, but over the years again that's been fine tuned to a pretty good level," she said.
