On Saturday night at 11:04 p.m., UPennAlert, the University’s emergency communication system, sent a notification that there was “police activity” on the corner of 40th and Sansom streets. What was not disclosed at the time was that this police activity was responding to a shooting at that location, which had occurred almost an hour before that first message. Then, about 58 minutes after the initial alert, the Penn community was sent a second notification that the area was “all clear.” This was the last communication from Penn’s Division of Public Safety about the incident.
At no point during that process was it communicated by DPS that the events of Saturday night were considerably more serious than just “police activity.” While we understand that not every situation can be fully understood and communicated at a moment’s notice, Penn has a responsibility to ensure the safety of its students. Part of that mandate is to clearly transmit as much information as possible about safety risks to the Penn community. With the largest private police force in Pennsylvania, can we really not detect and communicate about a shooting on our campus within a reasonable time frame?
UPennAlert’s delay last week wasn’t a one-off. Rather, it was indicative of deeper structural issues with the DPS approach to keeping us safe.
A particularly egregious shortcoming of the UPennAlert system is its failure to provide intermittent updates during a situation. All alerts follow the same basic structure: DPS sends an initial warning and eventually, one to tell us that things are “all clear.” But in many cases, this leaves our community in the dark. Many Penn students have commitments that last late into the night and live on blocks that UPennAlerts frequently warn us to avoid. Penn has a responsibility not only to alert students of violent crimes within their neighborhoods but to give them as much information and guidance as possible to help them stay safe.
DPS must offer more transparency than just “here’s a situation” and “situation dealt with.” Tell us what the incident was. Give us updates as new developments arise. Then, give us that “all clear” message when it’s appropriate to do so. It seems obvious, but the current system fails to meet even this very basic standard.
While DPS often fails to give us necessary updates about actual violence, it overreport about instances that pose no risk to student safety. UPennAlerts have been used as a fearmongering tool by the University, especially in politically charged situations. During the Gaza Solidarity Encampment in 2024, UPennAlerts were used to paint these demonstrations as dangerous, while there was no real threat of violence to students. The stated policy from DPS says that UPennAlerts are only sent in circumstances constituting “significant emergencies or dangerous situations” that warrant the attention of the Penn community. How is the University choosing to vilify certain protests through an emergency alert system a justifiable practice?
Of course, these intimidation tactics are nothing new in how Penn polices our campus. In November, DPS sent a University-wide email outlining its safety response to “a social media post encouraging people to gather.” Part of this response involved baton-wielding officers selectively turning away Black youth attempting to walk down 40th Street, while allowing other pedestrians through.
Penn frequently points to its expansive public safety presence as evidence of its commitment to student safety. Yet, Penn’s use of 121 full-time police officers does nothing to address the underlying roots of crime on or near campus. DPS could perhaps better protect us by investing more in preventative measures and ensuring greater transparency about crime that does occur, as opposed to its current practice of over-policing residents and under-informing the Penn community.
UPennAlert is also eerily absent in a crucial time of risk for many students at Penn: the increased deployment of ICE agents across the country — including to college campuses. Just a few weeks ago, the Undergraduate Assembly passed a resolution imploring Penn’s administration to set a concrete policy on how to notify and protect students from ICE. This comes after a months-long campaign of violent ICE raids and deportations, as well as the detainment of multiple college students. DPS leadership has emphasized that it views ICE simply as a law enforcement agency and that its presence alone is not a reason to send a UPennAlert. But today’s political climate is not sympathetic to a lack of communication about this issue. If a peaceful demonstration or a potential gathering of local teenagers are reason enough to alert the Penn community, ICE’s presence absolutely warrants a warning.
This academic year has been no stranger to frightening situations on and around our campus. And yet, the UPennAlert system has utterly failed in its goal to ensure that everyone at Penn understands legitimate risks when they arise. Our emergency alerts should conform to our community’s needs. This includes addressing our concerns, being as transparent as possible, and not manipulating our safety to reach political ends. It’s time for DPS to do better.
Editorials represent the majority view of members of The Daily Pennsylvanian Editorial Board who meet regularly to discuss issues relevant to the Penn community. This body is led by Editorial Board Chair Jack Lakis and overseen by Opinion Editor Ingrid Holmquist. It is entirely separate from the newsroom. Questions or comments should be directed to letters@thedp.com.
