City collaborates with colleges to tackle crime

Through increased communication and coordination with the city's colleges and universities, Mayor Michael Nutter is making crime prevention a larger focus within Philadelphia.

While both the Philadelphia Police and Penn's Division of Public Safety say the two police forces have long collaborated, new channels of communication between the city and the University have been opened by the Nutter administration.

Safety officials and political analysts say they had expected crime to be a top priority for Nutter, given his work as a city councilman.

Shortly after Nutter took over, Penn hosted a forum on crime in Houston Hall that included Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey as well as representatives from local colleges and universities.

"Since that day, we have been infinitely involved in working with the Philadelphia Police," Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said.

The University City District Public Safety Group also hosted a discussion last week with Everett Gillison, the deputy mayor for public safety.

According to Rush and St. Joseph University history professor and political analyst Randall Miller, Nutter's focus on crime didn't start during the campaign last fall - he was also interested in understanding crime, particularly crime around universities, during his time in city council.

"He has a deep understanding of not only the surface of what the problems are in the area of crime but also has made that a top priority as mayor," Rush said.

Miller said that due to young and "innocent" students, universities tend to be a "magnet for crime" - something he said Nutter understood while on city council.

While Nutter's policies seem to be working - Philadelphia has seen 239 homicides so far this year, compared with 302 at this point in 2007 - experts say they will only continue to be effective if crime remains a focus for his administration.

"In one sense, he's inherited this - these relationships have been worked out over time," Miller said. "The key thing for Nutter is the extent to which he's going to make this a priority."

Lt. Frank Vanore of the Philadelphia Police said the different police forces in University City work closely together, with Penn Police investigators handling some area cases.

Dominic Ceccanecchio, Drexel University's head of public safety, also said his university has had an "excellent working relationship" with the Philadelphia Police.

Drexel security officers coordinate with Penn and Philadelphia Police to ensure all areas on campus are covered, Ceccanecchio said.

Penn President Amy Gutmann also stressed the good relationship between the University and the mayor's office.

"He's reached out to Penn, and he recognizes that a strong Penn is important for a strong Philadelphia, just as a strong Philadelphia is important for a strong Penn," she said.

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