Lt. John Wylie drives down Chestnut Street, eyes open and alert for threats. Assaults, armed robberies and thefts all take place on this campus, and police patrols are essential to catching the perpetrators of these crimes.
On the night of April 9, though, nothing appeared to be happening. It was a quiet night on the Penn streets, and for police, that is the preferred scenario.
On any given night, there are at least three police cars and a wagon patrolling the nearby streets. The night shift lasts from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., and an officer usually spends a significant portion of that time in the car.
Around 9 p.m., the streets surrounding the campus area were mostly quiet. Wylie says it is still too early to head out for parties, and he anticipates little trouble for the time being.
"It's early for us," Wylie says. "It's usually around 10 or 11 that incidents start to occur."
As it was also Easter weekend, few people were walking around, many having gone home or chosen to stay indoors. Wylie, though, is used to the uneventful nights.
"Most of mine are quiet," he says -- though there have certainly been exceptions in the 18 years that he has been a police officer, and he recalls times when he has had to chase after fleeing suspects.
"When you chase people, that's when it gets exciting," Wylie says. "I got memories of that."
Wylie proceeds on a continuous circuit through the campus, down to 30th and Chestnut streets, south as far as Baltimore Avenue and west to 42nd Street. He frequently checks for signs of theft from vehicles, driving slowly though parking lots and past places where people are likely to be traveling alone.
"People at the gym walking back alone to their car" could be at risk, Wylie says as he drives by the Levy Tennis Pavilion, located on 3130 Walnut St. The pavilion is on the extreme eastern end of campus, and Wylie notes that since there are few cars and people in the area late at night, those out walking are clear targets for criminals.
Certain locations are particular points of concern for police. Fortieth Street has changed drastically in the last few years, with heavy commercial buildup producing an area popular for students late at night.
"Fortieth Street used to be a terror zone," Wylie says.
While the crime situation has improved, he notes that police still attempt to keep a careful eye on any places where a large number of people are expected to gather.
"Usually, 40th Street areas are gonna be a concern in the evening," Wylie says. "Locust Walk is going to be a concern -- so are 3400 Walnut and 3400 Sansom."
Patrol cars also serve as a deterrent, a visible police presence that could protect people simply by warding off possible criminals. They are additionally expected to respond to radio broadcasts of incidents in their vicinity.
"If it's within a few blocks of our patrol area, we'd certainly have to respond to it," Wylie says. "When we get called to go to jobs, it's usually someone University-affiliated."
Not all weekends will be as quiet as that Friday. With the Penn Relays on the horizon, Wylie expects silent nights to temporarily become a thing of the past.
"The next few weeks are going to be very busy," he says. "The warm weather always kind of changes things, and there are going to be events that bring a lot of attention to campus."
