To the Editor:
As we enjoy warmer weather and enter the summer season, I would like all Penn community members, particularly students, to take a moment and think about your personal safety.
This year continues to be a challenging one in regards to safety and security for the Penn community. Violent crime has been on the rise throughout the City of Philadelphia, and unfortunately we have also experienced an up-tick in robberies in the off-campus area of 40th to 43rd, Baltimore to Spruce. During the summer, there is lower occupancy on and off campus, which can create more risks for our community members traveling alone, particularly late at night into the early morning hours.
I would like to give you a snapshot of how the Division of Public safety does everything possible to provide our community with a safe and secure environment. DPS is composed of 157 staff members. We have a 100-person, internationally accredited police department. Penn Police officers have full powers of arrest. We deploy them on foot, bicycle, motorcycle and mobile patrols on and off campus. We also have a full-service Detective Bureau.
We supplement the police with a national contract security company, Allied-Barton. Our security officers also patrol on and off campus on foot and bicycle and in mobile patrols. We have 68 pan-tilt-zoom CCTV cameras on campus and on the city streets. Our PennComm personnel perform virtual video patrols via these cameras and alert the Penn Police and Allied security officers of any irregular activities. We use our PennStat Crime Mapping program to immediately identify trends and proactively adjust our police and security deployment plans as necessary.
We have increased the police and security officers' presence in the 40th to 43rd, Baltimore to Spruce zone, which has been our most challenging area. We have also requested and received enhanced patrols from the Philadelphia Police, Septa Police and the University City District's Safety Ambassadors.
Our public-safety program has been very successful, in that between 2003-04 we realized a 15 percent decrease in all crimes reported within our patrol area, which is 30th to 43rd Street, Market to Baltimore. Additionally, between 1996 and 2004 we had a 49 percent decrease in overall crime and a 50 percent reduction in robberies reported within this same geographic area.
Crime is a formula: Motive plus Opportunity equals Crime. Our job, as a community, is to remove the opportunity from the formula. We would like everyone to utilize the following safety tips: Use well traveled streets and walk with a buddy OR call us for a free 24-7 Walking Escort (215-898-WALK); use the mobile Transit service (215-898-RIDE); become familiar with the locations of blue-light emergency phones in areas where you normally walk. Phones automatically contact our PennComm Communications Center, and assistance is immediately dispatched to your location, which is automatically displayed in our center. And finally, use alcohol responsibly.
So play it safe, become our safety partners and immediately report any suspicious behaviors or activities by calling 511 from any Penn building phone or E phone or by calling 215-573-3333 from your cell phone or off-campus phone.
Stop by our headquarters at 4040 Chestnut St. to learn more about how you can enhance your safety or call 215-898-4481 to request a safety presentation for you and your friends.
A special farewell to the 2005 graduating class from the men and women of the Division of Public Safety. We wish you all good health, safety and success as you embark on the next chapter of your lives.
Stay safe!
Maureen Rush
The author is vice president for public safety at Penn
