University President Amy Gutmann's $5 million plan to fight campus crime is coming into focus -- and experts and students alike are hopeful that the new strategies will have an impact on safety at Penn.
Division of Public Safety officials are working to implement Operation Safe, the initiative developed after the Jan. 16 shooting of Engineering sophomore Mari Oishi near 38th and Walnut streets.
Oishi was struck in the leg by a stray bullet.
The initiative calls for increasing the number of Penn Police officers from 101 to 116, doubling the number of security guards on patrol and installing additional lighting and more surveillance cameras on campus.
Security guards will also be provided neon-yellow uniforms and flashing wristbands to help increase their visibility.
Carroll Seron, a criminology professor at the University of California at Irvine, said that while there is no single effective method to reduce crime, increasing lighting and the number of police officers are reasonable measures.
However, she cautioned, it is also important to consider the ratio of officers to residents in the community. A surge in police presence may result in community discomfort if law enforcement officers do not know how to interact with the public and build trust.
Public safety officials are in the process of training all newly hired officers. Six new sergeants and one lieutenant will be promoted from within the police force.
"Depending on your community, [adding more officers] can help you or hurt you," Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker said, adding that an increased police presence can make it seem like there is a lot of crime.
But for students who live off campus, additional police officers can be a source of comfort.
"If I have to scream for help, there's someone in the vicinity," said Wharton senior and Undergraduate Assembly member Cynthia Wong, who lives in Hamilton Court on Chestnut Street. The UA has not officially formed a position on the $5 million initiative.
But some students feel that law-enforcement officials simply cannot cover all areas of campus and are glad instead to see more money directed to security technology.
"Every inch of campus should have a camera," College freshman Aurada Cholapranee said.
While Operation Safe has drawn the approval of community groups such as the West Philadelphia Town Watch Task Force, Martin Cabry -- the organization's chairman -- says that it is not enough.
Cabry said that while the initiative could help reduce crime on Penn's campus, he wishes the University would extend its patrol borders. The University Police currently cover the area between 30th and 43rd streets and Baltimore Avenue and Market Street.
"If they move [crime] away from 43rd Street, then 43rd Street up takes the brunt of it," he said.
However, Cabry said he hopes to discuss extending Operation Safe into the West Philadelphia community with University officials.
"If they move a block or two, it would make a difference," he said.
