Over the last decade, Penn Police have implemented a video monitoring system that has become the standard for other universities around the country.
In a testament to Penn's digital prowess, a delegation from Johns Hopkins University will visit the campus next Wednesday to examine security technology measures, specifically the security camera system installed on campus.
Hopkins has been considering redesigning its security programs since last spring. However, two recent homicides -- one of which occurred last month -- have prompted the school to take more immediate steps, school spokesman Dennis O'Shea said.
O'Shea said Hopkins plans to install the same security camera system that the Penn Police operate and is interested in seeing the implementation of the system on campus.
"The visit that we are making to Penn is specifically to look at the video surveillance system," O'Shea said, "not to talk about general safety, though it may come up."
In addition, O'Shea said Hopkins hopes Penn will help officials gain a sense of what the fully integrated security system is like.
"We want to look at Penn to help guide us in our own decision as to what the complete version will be like," O'Shea said.
Hopkins officials plan to complete the first phase of its surveillance system installation -- which includes 32 cameras -- within the next five weeks.
Penn's Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said Hopkins faces the same security situation that Penn faced several years ago.
"They are right now where we were in 1996," Rush said. "They have a long road ahead of them to gain back the confidence of the community. Two homicides back to back is a hard thing to get through, but they have the dedication."
Penn will provide any necessary assistance, Rush said.
"We are dedicated to helping them in any way we can," she said. "In our business, we are all in this together."
Penn Director of Security and Technical Services Domenic Ceccanecchio said Penn will show Hopkins all the security it has to offer.
"We're going to show them the whole program," Ceccanecchio said. "We're going to talk to them about the guard program, residential security, [closed circuit TV], access control -- I think that is what they are most interested in."
However, Rush said that Hopkins will likely encounter less difficulty than Penn did when reforming their security system because they can look to other universities as examples.
"They have a product," she said. "They have a model that has succeeded."
Penn first began installing its surveillance system in 1997.
Even without the new system though, Hopkins freshman Esther Ko said she thinks students feel secure on campus.
"I generally feel safe," Ko said. "I wouldn't go too far off campus at night or anything."
Ko said the recent crimes have not had a huge impact on safety perceptions.
"It just made students more aware of [how] unsafe things can be, and people are just more cautious outside," she said.
Rush said it is not uncommon for other universities to look at Penn's security. Past visitors include representatives from Syracuse, Duke and La Salle Universities.
