Discovering that your valuable belongings have been stolen is not fun. Thankfully, fewer Penn students have faced this frustrating situation recently. Since the Division of Public Safety first launched its theft-awareness campaign in 2008, theft on campus has decreased by 15.7 percent — a drop experts attribute at least in part to DPS’ efforts. The University deserves recognition for its work to reduce these types of crimes.
One of the keys to the campaign’s success is its emphasis on collaboration. DPS, students, faculty and staff work together to publicize and educate the campus about the need for vigilance; security forces remain in constant communication and work with local retailers to monitor thefts. Such joint efforts between parties are crucial because they help to address the problem on all levels.
While the results are something for the University to be proud of, students should not take the drop in theft as a sign to stop being vigilant. Rather, the campaign’s success demonstrates that students must remember to continue constantly staying alert and to not leave their belongings unattended in theft hot spots, such as libraries and retail areas.
At Penn, crime seems to be on people’s minds frequently given our urban environment. It’s nice to know that the University’s hard work in increasing campus safety seems to be paying off. We hope the theft-awareness campaign continues to be effective, the University remains committed to the issue and theft declines even more in the future.
