A three-block stretch of Locust Street was subject to five violent crimes during the first week of July, prompting the Division of Public Safety to issue an alert on juvenile crime.
Two robberies and three assaults all reportedly committed by juveniles - occurred between 39th Street and Locust Walk and 42nd and Locust streets between July 3 and 7, DPS officials said. Another assault - which officials say was also committed by juveniles - happened on July 10 at 33rd and Chestnut streets. And yet another similar crime, a theft, occurred at 37th Street and Locust Walk on July 3.
DPS issued an alert in response to the crimes the evening of July 13.
In all of the incidents, the complainants were approached by a group, ranging in size from two to 10 members, of juveniles around the ages of nine to 13.
None of the crimes involved a weapon.
Three Penn students, one professor and a University employee were among the complainants. Two complainants - the professor and the Penn employee -- received medical treatment at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania afterward.
Two males, ages 13 and 16, both of West Philadelphia, were arrested in connection with a robbery in the 4200 block of Locust Street on July 7. They face charges of robbery, aggravated assault and other related offenses.
After two of the assaults, both of which occurred on July 7, Penn police officers stopped male juveniles in the area immediately after the incidents, DPS spokeswoman Karima Zedan said. The officers did not make arrests because the complainants could not positively identify the suspects.
In response to the incidents, DPS has increased the number of officers on the streets and monitoring of the area via CCTV cameras, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said.
Since the crimes, a number of juveniles have been arrested for disorderly conduct and curfew violations. Rush said it is still unknown whether these juveniles are connected to any of the robberies or assaults.
West Philadelphia has experienced a "rash" of juvenile crime for several weeks, said Sgt. Charles Layton of the Philadelphia Police. In the summer he said, the vicinity of campus provides an "ideal" location for crime because there are fewer pedestrians on the street to provide witnesses.
Different juveniles have likely been involved in the crimes, Rush said. Layton said he believes there is a fairly consistent group of juvenile delinquents, whose members vary in each incident.
Philadelphia and Penn police are coordinating efforts to monitor the area for potential juvenile crime, Rush and Layton said.
