Overall crime for the month of June rose approximately 8.5 percent from last June, according to statistics provided by the Division of Public Safety.
This figure is about half of the 16 percent year-to-date rise in crime when compared to the same period last year.
Retail theft this June underwent a dramatic rise of 228.6 percent, with 23 instances as compared to seven last June. According to Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush, the number of retail thefts was “intolerable.”
“There are several stores that have had problems, and in fact one of them just put a security guard in their presence,” Rush said, naming the American Apparel located at located at 3651 Walnut St. “There were 12 retail thefts from American Apparel, which was unacceptable.”
The high number of thefts, however, prompted cooperation between DPS and the store. “The establishment’s management has been extremely cooperative with public safety and they are working with us. They are as miffed as we are for becoming a particular target, but they are working with us to hopefully bring some negative retail theft returns in July,” Rush said.
As a category, crimes against persons rose from two in June of 2009 to nine this June, including four total robberies as compared to zero last year. Rush said a wide patrol boundary contributed to this statistic.
“All of the four robberies of June were not central. They were almost perimeter [of the Penn patrol zone]. If someone reports a robbery, it can have nothing to do with Penn and just happen to be in the area,” Rush said, adding that though the numbers may not indicate anything about the Penn community, nevertheless, “it is our environment and it is important to us.”
The most decreased crime was auto theft, down to 3 from 18 last June. Rush attributed this figure to the “diligence of Penn Police.” She also explained however that one person is often responsible for a high number of particular crimes.
“It’s like they’re specialists,” Rush said. “You go to school for a particular subject and there are people here who specialize in certain crimes.”
Another explanation offered was that no one left their keys in the ignition of their car, as Rush said happened once.
“You may get people from suburbs who can pull into their driveway and leave the key in their ignition and leave the door open and go to sleep. You’re in the city, and you can’t do that.”
According to DPS officials, the discrepancy is due to a dramatic rise in crime in January, February and March.
“Unfortunately we began the year, from January up until March, with some criminals who came into our environment,” said Penn Police Chief Mark Dorsey, who added that several unattended thefts and robberies occurred during that time period.
March crime had risen approximately 66 percent from March 2009. January and February crime had also risen, by 8.3 percent and 17.4 percent respectively.
“We made many arrests and as we go through the year we’re starting to get back to some normalcy,” said Dorsey.
