Two years after the implementation of Operation Safe - Penn's $5-million safety initiative spurred after a student was shot on campus in 2006 - officials and students say safety is improving and measures to improve security are continuing.
Started after then-Engineering sophomore Mari Oishi was hit in the thigh by a stray bullet near 38th and Walnut streets in January 2006, the security plan has added lighting and cameras, as well as increased the number and visibility of Penn Police and security guards.
Overall crime in the Penn patrol zone has increased by 7 percent since 2005 - the year before Operation Safe was implemented - mostly due to increases in the number of thefts over the past year.
But there have been decreases in violent crime: robberies showed a 27-percent decline during that time, and robberies at gunpoint dropped by 63 percent.
"The good news was that a lot of the crime that causes harm to people has decreased," Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said.
Oishi also looks at Operation Safe favorably, saying the effort "shows how much Penn cares."
Today, the Division of Public Safety monitors 86 CCTV cameras across the Penn patrol zone, up from 65 before Operation Safe was implemented. These cameras enable the police to "catch people before they commit a crime," Rush said.
Oishi also pointed to the new bright yellow jackets that are now the uniform of the AlliedBarton security guards around campus as a beneficial development resulting from the initiative.
"One of the things they were concerned about was not just the presence of guards, but that the people in West Philly know that they are there," Oishi said. "The security guards on every block wearing outfits that are very noticeable is a huge positive thing."
The ultimate goal of Operation Safe, Rush said, was "to not only help drive down crime and prevent bad guys, but also make the students feel better." When people feel safe, Rush added, "more people go out together, [making it] harder for the perpetrator to commit a crime."
To that end, further initiatives are in the works, including additional street lamps on Walnut Street between 40th and 33rd streets, on Spruce Street between 38th and 40th streets and on 34th Street between Spruce and Chestnut streets.
Additionally, an Engineering group is conducting a study to present a design plan for installing lights from Walnut Street to Baltimore Avenue between 40th to 43rd streets to service the off campus community.
Students have noted the effects of Operation Safe efforts.
"I think that they have done a great job at illuminating campus," said Wharton senior Cameron Coles.
This fall, Penn Police was ranked first for safety in education by Security Magazine.
Penn President Amy Gutmann said she believes Operation Safe has had a "major and positive impact" on campus, resulting in an environment in which "the sense of safety is high."
