Penn Police Chief Rambo steps down from post

Chief of the University of Pennsylvania Police Department Tom Rambo has resigned from his position after 18 years on the force.

Rambo stepped down on June 9, deciding to pursue other career options after completing his graduate studies in the St. Joseph's University Master of Sciences program.

The Philadelphia native has served in the UPPD his entire professional career, joining as a patrol officer in 1986 and rising steadily through the ranks to become chief of police in 2001.

Rambo could not be reached for comment, but according Vice President of Public Safety Maureen Rush, he deliberately decided to time his departure with the transition from Judith Rodin to Amy Gutmann as University president.

"In many ways this is an excellent time to make a change in one's career because it is the end of an era and a good point for someone who is thinking of trying a new career path to take that step," she wrote in an e-mail interview.

Rambo's presence in the police department will be missed, with great strides made in fighting crime during his tenure as chief. Under his leadership, the incident rate has fallen every year since 2001 and by 40 percent since its landmark high in 1996.

"Tom brought many wonderful qualities and skills to the job, and we will certainly miss his contributions," Rush said. She noted, however, that even without Rambo the department will continue to safeguard the community with the same level of service and professionalism.

"I think the men and women of the UPPD have done a remarkable job over the past 10 years of my tenure within the Division of Public Safety," she wrote. "Their dedication to crime fighting is evident through the overall decrease in crime and the perception of safety felt by our community."

Rush has not yet announced a replacement and has not provided any indication of possible candidates. She will not confine her search to the UPPD though, but will examine officers who can satisfy the unique requirements of a university police department chief.

"I will be looking for an experienced law enforcement leader who has a keen awareness of community policing," she wrote.

Campus police departments face the singular challenge of thousands of people entering and exiting the community they protect every year. Both Rush and Rambo have previously said that September is the most difficult month for the police, as freshmen adjusting to a city environment and college life tend to be more vulnerable.

One of the essential criteria for Rambo's replacement will therefore be an "appreciation of the complexity of leading a police department serving a university community located in an urban environment," Rush wrote.

In the interim period, deputy chiefs and other public safety commanders are reporting directly to Rush, who preceded Rambo as chief. She gave no hint as to when the department will receive a new head, but said she remains confident that police performance will not suffer in the meantime.

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