Staff Editorial: An inexcusable breach

In spite of the massive drop in crime on campus and in West Philadelphia over the last decade, security is still a major issue at Penn. The measures the University takes to ensure safety, especially within the dormitories, are fairly strict, certainly more so than at most other colleges.

And it is precisely this perceived higher level of security that makes Saturday morning's reported assault of a female student in her Quadrangle dormitory that much more disturbing. How was a total stranger able to slip past security at the fortress-like Quad? Particularly during the late night hours, when security is supposedly tightened to exclude even those Penn students who do not live in a given dormitory, how could this happen?

The answer is probably pretty clear to anyone who has ever lived in a campus residence. The security guard system, though never meant to absolutely guarantee safety, is susceptible to many more human -- and more avoidable -- errors.

How often do the desk guards nod off during the early morning hours? How frequently are students able to sneak friends and others into the Quad or the high rises in a large crowd, past the supposedly discriminating eye of security?

This weekend's breach in the Quad is an outrage because it never should have been allowed to happen. It is also terrifying because it could happen all of the time.

We wholeheartedly endorse the review of campus security called for by Penn's public safety chief, Maureen Rush, and we expect that it be absolutely thorough. And if such a survey finds fault in the system established by Spectaguard, the company charged by the University with overseeing dormitory security, it is imperative that the company be dealt with accordingly.

Gate security must be tightened. Guards must keep a more watchful eye on those entering the buildings they oversee. Police officers should pay extra attention to the dormitories. A more thorough and effective monitoring system for guards is needed.

A review, though important, is not enough. Immediate action must be taken to ensure that everything possible is being done to prevent such crimes from happening where students live.

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