Two robberies of students over the weekend have moved Penn Police to increase the concentration of security personnel in the vicinity of 41st and Spruce streets.
Police have not made arrests in either of the cases.
Two female students were robbed by an unknown male at approximately 4:15 a.m. Saturday. The students were walking north on 41st Street when they were approached by the robber, who demanded that the students give him money.
Both students handed over their purse and suffered no injuries. The man fled west on Locust Street.
While the value of the contents of the purses is unknown, one complainant reported that her purse contained a digital camera.
The complainants described their attacker as a black male in his 20s with a stocky build and a dark complexion. At the time of the robbery, he wore a dark knit cap, a green army sweatshirt and black pants.
No weapons were used.
In the second incident, a male student was robbed Sunday at approximately 9:45 p.m. near the intersection of 42nd and Spruce streets.
The complainant reported that he was walking west on Spruce Street when he was approached by two persons who appeared to be teenagers.
When the robbers demanded money, the student gave them $35 in cash, and the offenders fled east on Spruce Street.
Though the complainant did not see any weapons, he noted that one of the robbers had one hand in his pocket to indicate that a weapon was present.
The student reported that one of the attackers was a black male about 15 years old with dark skin and a black hooded sweatshirt. He described the second attacker as a black male between 13 and 14 years old with a chubby build, short hair and a gray sweatshirt.
In response to the robberies, Penn Police are adding additional Allied Security officers to the area, specifically during the early morning hours, Police Chief Mark Dorsey said.
"We encourage students to use the escort services and not walk alone in the early morning hours," Dorsey said.
Police have not made any arrests in regard to the armed robberies that occurred March 13 and 11.
The March 11 robbery was committed against two male students at around 1:30 a.m. on the 4000 block of Spruce Street.
Detectives are actively pursuing several leads, Dorsey said.
