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(01/24/92 10:00am)
Emily Culbertson's childhood could pass as a bad sitcom. Born as the last of seven children, a full eight years after child #6, a precocious child grows up in a small Indiana town with middle-age parents. The first episode would start with her birth and the circumstances surrounding it. The key question: why would a father in his late 50s and a 40-year-old mother decide to have another child? "We didn't decide," admits Mom. "She happened." "We were all kind of stunned," added her oldest sister Vicki Oberman. "Oops." But this strange situation, relatives say, turned out well for all involved. Oberman said her parents were better off with a child later in life and Culbertson herself managed to have her parents' undivided attention. Culbertson escaped her childhood unscathed and managed to make a name for herself as a star athlete and student at her local high school. She fled Indiana to continue her success at the University and is now poised to take on the position of Assistant Managing Editor of the DP. Culbertson, a College junior and history major, will be in charge of designing the layout of the DP and will help guide the paper's beat reporting staff. Culbertson's high school friends said they saw a future for her in journalism when she was editor of Richmond High School's semi-weekly paper, The Register. Elizabeth Thompson said Culbertson handled all the tough news assignments "because she wasn't scared of interviewing like the rest of us were." As a reporter for the DP, Culbertson was far from intimidated by difficult stories. In her first semester as a beat reporter she had to write stories about the "Pig Penn" show on UTV and then moved on last spring to cover the University's funding battle with the state. This fall she covered city politics and had to ask tough questions of mayoral candidates Ed Rendell and Joe Egan and U.S. Senate candidate Harris Wofford. But journalism wasn't always her only interest. When she was younger, she was an accomplished pianist who once performed with the local symphony. And in high school, she was best known as an exceptional swimmer and set five school records. Thompson said Culbertson was well known on the swim team for making fashion statements with her swimsuits. Rather than buy new suits, Culbertson would wear old ones until they fell apart. As one former coach said, "when it became embarassing, she would wear another one under it." "They were all blue-green faded swimsuits and they were all hanging in pieces," Thompson said. Culbertson also made a statement, Thompson said, by wearing cutoffs without shaving her legs, "which in Indiana is almost a sin." Cutoffs continue to be her normal wear, complementing her hair style that incoming 34th Street editor Matt Selman describes as a "Little Dutch Boy, Prince Valiant, Holland look." Culbertson also has her share of strange habits. She is borderline nocturnal. Her room is a complete mess and she is an admitted slob. She has a strange taste in food, with her standard diet ranging from Pringle's Cheez-Ums to pita bread with sour cream and onion dip. But Dan Schwartz, her boyfriend since her freshman year, revealed that she likes to be scratched on the back. "If you scratch her just right she'll purr like a cat," he said.
(05/17/91 9:00am)
University and Philadelphia Police are still investigating a report of an attempted rape at the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house in January. University Police Detective Michael Carrol said Thursday investigators have not made any arrests in the case. Carrol declined to say when police would make a final decision on any possible arrests. Police said last month that they have identified a single suspect in the case who was positively identified by the alleged victim. They have declined to release the suspect's name or state if he is a student at the University. University Police detectives, along with the Philadelphia Police Sex Crimes unit, have been investigating the report since late March. The reported victim, a Harvard University student, told Harvard Police in March that she was the victim of a rape attempt at the fraternity's Superblock house January 26. University Police said they started investigating the report March 29 and said in early April they had narrowed the investigation down to one suspect. A Philadelphia Police spokesperson said at the time police asked the suspect to take a lie detector test.
(04/19/91 9:00am)
University and Philadelphia Police have identified a single suspect in the alleged attempted rape at the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house, a Philadelphia Police spokesperson said yesterday. At the same time, Philadelphia Police reports reveal discrepancies between when University Police learned of the incident and when they reported it to the University community. University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich admitted last night that the department did not inform the community about the incident as quickly as it should have, blaming the delay on a flawed reporting system within the department. Philadelphia Police officer Dorothy Kearsey said the victim of the alleged crime, a Harvard University student, has identified the person she says attacked her. Kearsey said police have already questioned the suspect and plan to give him a lie detector test. Kearsey would not say if the suspect is a brother of the fraternity or if police might charge him with the crime. Kuprevich, who has been out of town most of this week, was not sure if the suspect was a University student. Kearsey and Harvard University Police Chief Paul Johnson both said the victim reported the incident to Harvard Police, who then reported it to University Police. Johnson said the victim has since taken a leave of absence from Harvard. Neither Johnson nor the Harvard Police detective investigating the case would comment further. Kearsey said Philadelphia Police have been in contact with both the victim and her family. According to Kearsey, the victim did not report the January 26 incident to Harvard Police until March 19, almost two months later. Kearsey said Harvard Police notified University Police, who then notified the Philadelphia Police Sex Crimes division on March 29. But in the weekly crime log sent to the Almanac, University Police state that the crime was reported on April 2, three days after Sex Crimes was notified. Kuprevich said the unusual nature of the incident led to this difference. He said University Police have deferred to Sex Crimes in the investigation, adding that both University and Philadelphia Police spent the three days talking to the victim to determine if she wanted to go forward with a complaint. "It wasn't really clear what the complainant wanted to do in the case," Kuprevich said late last night. He said the April 2 date represents the time the two departments decided they had enough information to start a formal investigation of the case. Victim Support Services Director Ruth Wells said yesterday she knew of the incident by March 29, when she first contacted the victim. Wells said she is talking with the victim regularly. The department and the administration in general have come under fire from student leaders for how they report sexual assaults to the University community. At University Council's monthly meeting last week, both Safety and Security Committee Chairperson Jeffrey Jacobson and Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chairperson Susan Garfinkel criticized President Sheldon Hackney for not making more information on the incident available to the University community. Jacobson said at Council that University Police never mentioned the incident to his committee even though it had met April 5, a full week after the department notified Philadelphia Police. And the April 2 date police listed in the blotter meant the incident appeared in Almanac a week later than it would have if police listed it for March 29. This is the third time this semester University Police have not offered information on campus sexual assault reports in a timely manner. Kuprevich was not immediately available for comment on a reported December sexual assault at the Medical School even though he made himself the official department spokesperson on the matter. Last month, University Police failed to inform a DP reporter of an attempted rape of a University employee when he made his routine check for weekend crimes. Only after DP staff members learned of the incident independently and asked Kuprevich about it directly did the department provide any information on the crime. University Police, like most police departments on college campuses, choose not to make their incident reports public. Rather than viewing reports directly, reporters and other members of the community must rely on police spokespeople for information. But Kuprevich said last night the department has never tried to cover up any reported crimes. "Our policy has never been to hide anything that's been reported to us," he said. "Our community needs to know about crimes that are going on." He attributed the lack of notification to the DP and the Safety and Security Committe to an oversight and said the department is trying to build trust with the community. But he admitted the incident "shows a flaw in our system of reporting things." "The clear paths of communication are not completely set up," he said. "They just are not. But we're getting there." Former Safety and Security Chairperson Helen Davies said last night, however, that the University Police Department seems to have informed the committee regularly about these cases. "I think they have been extremely good about it," she said. Davies and Wells said it is not unusual that the victim did not notify authorities of the incident until well after it occurred. Wells said victims of sexual assaults, especially on a college campus, may fear harassment, intimidation or will blame themselves for the incident. In addition, Wells said they may feel reluctant to charge an acquaintance with a crime that carries prison sentences. Davies said the University's counseling services and Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape are reducing this problem, but other schools may not have similar support systems.
(01/16/91 10:00am)
The Medical School building guard accused of sexually assaulting a University student in December was fired for "administrative" reasons and not directly because of the alleged assault, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said yesterday. Kuprevich said University Police and the Philadelphia Police Sex Crimes division are investigating a report of a sexual assault by a building guard last semester but said no criminal charges have been filed in the case. The victim of the alleged assault has not decided to press charges at this time. The guard did admit, Kuprevich said, to being away from his post for part of that evening. Although sources close to the case described the incident as a rape earlier this week, Kuprevich said police are classifying the incident as a sexual assault. This classification does include the charge of rape. In addition to the criminal investigation, the Medical School also investigated the case. Kuprevich said school officials suspended the guard upon learning of the accusations. They then "terminated" him, Kuprevich said, for other reasons.
(12/10/90 10:00am)
The last weekend of regular classes was a quiet one, with University Police reporting only a series of minor crimes. University Police Sergeant Thomas Messner said a student reported the theft of $80 to $90 from a jacket pocket at the Hall of Flags in Houston Hall at about 7 p.m. Saturday. The student told police his jacket was draped over the back of his chair. Someone bumped into it, he said, and walked away. The student said he immediately checked his pocket and found the money was gone. Messner said some offices in Meyerson Hall were broken into early Friday morning. He said desks were opened and some items stolen. He also said police received report of a purse-snatching at 10:45 p.m. Thursday night at 37th and Spruce streets. Two cars were reported stolen from University parking lots and the rear window of another car was smashed in when a bottle was apparently tossed onto it from High Rise South.
(12/10/90 10:00am)
Students who receive parking tickets from University Police next semester may want to actually consider paying them. In the past, students who did not pay their traffic fines faced no penalties. Since police were only able to issue internal University tickets and the University did not enforce them, fines were paid on an honors system. But starting next semester, University Police will be able to issue Philadelphia traffic tickets. These fines will be owed to the city and will be enforced by Philadelphia traffic court. University Police Captain John Richardson said if police issue six or more tickets to an individual vehicle, its wheel will be locked so that the car is stationary. "Hopefully we're going to get a handle on all the illegal parking that takes place on campus," Richardson said. "The old tickets really have no teeth and don't take a big bite out of our illegal parking problem." Richardson said police decided to change to city parking tickets because students and faculty ignore about 90 percent of the tickets they now issue. The new ticketing procedure is the first in a two-step effort to curb traffic problems on and around campus. Richardson said police are waiting for approval from the state to start issuing tickets for moving violations also. This approval would not only give police control over motor traffic, but over bicyclists as well. Fines for the new tickets will be $15 for most violations, $30 for parking in front of a fire hydrant and $100 for parking in a marked handicapped zone. Fines must be paid within eight days or offenders will be assessed an extra $23 fine. Richardson said he hopes the new system will cut down on people "hogging" spaces and cut down on double-parking, which makes driving dangerous.
(12/05/90 10:00am)
An early morning fire severely damaged an off-campus house yesterday on the 3900 block of Baltimore Avenue. Witnesses said the fire quickly tore through the three-story, brick rowhouse. Although the Philadelphia Fire Department declared the fire under control within 15 minutes of arriving at the scene at 4:20 a.m., it destroyed the entire inside of the house. No students lived in the house, which was occupied by permanent city residents, but students lived in houses on either side of the blaze. None of the residents or firefighters were injured. A Fire Department spokesman said the blaze is still under investigation by the city fire marshall. He said a cause will likely be determined within a few days. College junior Jeff Grayson, who lives a few houses away from the fire, said he heard sirens and did not think much of them until he heard them stop on his block. "I looked out my window and I was able to see flames coming out of the building," he said. "The whole inside looks like it's gutted." Grayson said the Fire Department seemed to control the blaze very quickly and kept damage to surrounding houses to just smoke damage.
(12/05/90 10:00am)
Rumors that a local rooming house might be converted into a halfway house have neighbors and the University concerned that the change could add to the area's crime problems. The house, located at 42nd and Chestnut streets, has been operating as a boarding house for several years. Even as a boarding house and formerly as a homeless shelter, area residents have considered the house a neighborhood nuisance. University administrators and business owners in the area said yesterday they are worried that bringing in rehabilitating criminals and drug addicts could lead to crime and other problems in the area. Allan and Beth Lieberman, who own the house, said they intend to use the building only as a rooming house, not a halfway house. Neighbors, however, do not believe them, and say the Liebermans told them a few months ago they were going to make it a halfway house. At least one unidentified neighbor was concerned enough about the project to distribute fliers around the area calling the project a "Crime Emergency." The fliers claimed students' chances of being murdered, raped or robbed would go up 75 percent if the building is turned into a halfway house. They urge concerned students to call University administrators to complain. "The last thing we need around Penn are more criminals and drug addicts," the fliers said. Assistant to the President William Epstein said even though the University is concerned about who occupies the house, this claim is greatly exaggerated. He said the tone of the fliers is "panicky." The Liebermans have owned the house, which runs from 4133 to 4139 Chestnut Street, for almost five years. For about three of those years they rented space in the house out to the city for use by the homeless. Epstein said the University considered the house a problem during that time. "There's no question in our minds that the property was a problem in terms of the contribution it made to loitering and crime," he said. The city stopped using the house nearly two years ago, and regular boarders moved in. Beth Lieberman said yesterday she and her brother soon had trouble with squatters living in the building. She said it took the two of them "a long time" to evict the squatters through the courts. Now, she said, they are trying to rehabilitate the building and bring in more boarders. The building can house up to 60 people, she said. It now has about 10 occupants. She said boarders are charged about $75 a week for a shared room and two meals a day. Lieberman said the rooms will not be available to anyone with a drug addiction or history of drug problems. "We will not rent to anyone who does drugs or has a drug background," she said. "Anyone who's living there has to be clean and free of drugs or alcohol." But Haig Injaian, the owner of a rug store on the block, said Beth Lieberman told him a few months ago the building would become a halfway house. He says he doesn't know whether she changed her mind or is just trying to cut down on negative publicity. Injaian said he and other businessmen consider the Liebermans "slum lords" and do not want them in the neighborhood. He said the house has been a constant problem and is the direct cause of some crime problems. He said he suspects several of the old squatters of breaking into his shop. He said the break-ins forced him to buy a metal grate for his windows. And, Injaian said, the residents of the house have driven customers away. He said a customer at a car wash across the street once returned to her car to find a man dressed only in underwear passed out in her back seat. Injaiamn said he recognized the man as one of the house's residents. "This neighborhood got really crime-infested," he said. "There were drug addicts and everyone in the neighborhood was broken into. There were dirty, dusty people urinating out the windows. It was a typical scum crop. We're not used to that up here." Lieberman said Injaian is attempting to stir up trouble to hurt her business. She said Injaian wants to prevent the rooming house from succeeding so he can buy the property. Injaian said he has offered to buy the property -- at about half of the Lieberman's asking price. He said he does own property adjacent to it but is more interested in clearing out a nuisance than in real estate speculation. "The reason I wanted to buy it was just to get this out of there and tear it all down," he said. Epstein said he has spoken with Injaian and other neighbors and shares some of their concerns. He said he and other University officials have checked to see if the Liebermans have all the necessary permits for the property. He said they do and that the lot is zoned for a rooming house. "We're not sure if there's any legal action we can take," he said. "But it's fair to say that there will be a number of neighbors and institutions in the area, the University included, that will keep an eye on it."
(12/05/90 10:00am)
Philadelphia Police plainclothes officers rescued a University student from a knifepoint robbery late Monday night at 44th and Locust streets. University Police spokesperson Sylvia Canada said the Philadelphia officers interrupted the robbery and arrested the assailant. University Police assisted in the arrest. Canada said that at about 11:45 p.m., two plainclothes officers patrolling the area west of campus started to follow a man who was acting suspiciously. Canada said the officers watched the man approach the student, put a knife up to her face and demand her purse. The officers interrupted the robbery and both the suspect and victim started to flee. Canada said the victim apparently did not understand or believe that the officers were police, since they were not in uniform. One of the officers caught the suspect and the other chased down the victim. The latter called University Police for assistance so that a uniformed officer could identify him. Both the suspect and victim were taken to 18th Police District headquarters at 55th and Pine streets. A University Police officer brought the student home. The identity of the assailant was not available.
(12/04/90 10:00am)
Students concerned that crime is turning the campus into Dodge City can take heart that on their side is the most accurate gun in the west. West Philadelphia, that is. Roaming the streets every evening to protect law and order is the University Police Department's master marksman Sergeant Thomas Messner, owner of one of the best shooting eyes in the state. The competition is open to any law enforcement officer, including police, sheriffs, correctional, Fish and Game, Secret Service and Treasury officers. Officers compete in a minimum of four competitions during the year and their scores are averaged. Contestants have 150 shots from distances from seven to 50 yards. Each shot is worth 10 points. Messner placed 19th with an average score of 1447.25 out of a possible 1500 points. Six of the 20 officers work with the Philadelphia Police department. "It's the highest honor that you can get as far as your ability with your firearm is concerned," Association President James Bramhall said. "This is the ultimate goal in the state. The only thing above it would be your rank nationally." Messner said placing in the competition has been a goal of his for a few years. He has entered the competition twice before. He said there is a national "President's 100" award but that is "just about beyond my dreams." Messner joined the department in 1983 and has served as its firearms instructor since 1986. Until he took a firearms course as an officer, he never had a real interest in shooting. The course, he said, "really whetted my appetite" and he began to enter competitions. Although inexperienced, he shot well. "I was fortunate I won a match early," he said. "Once I brought the first trophy home, I was hooked." Now, he said, shooting has become his hobby. Because the department sends its officers to a shooting range only once a year, Messner has joined a private shooting club in the city. He said the experience, although expensive, is worth it. He and Bramhall said many of the competitors have an advantage in that their departments sponsor them or they are full-time shooting instructors. In those cases, they said, contestants are able to spend more time on the shooting range. But Bramhall said Messner is moving up in the ranks anyway. "Every year you see an increase in his average," he said. "He's got a lot of ability. You can pick these guys out. He's got a lot of potential and he's coming up there real good." Messner compared shooting to golf in that it is a sport based on skill, not natural physical ability. "It's such a disciplined sport," he said. "You don't have to be able to run fast. You don't have to be able to jump. You don't have to have bulging muscles." But even though he enjoys shooting, he insists he's "not a gun nut." He said as a police officer, having this skill can be reassuring. He said he's had to draw his gun on several occasions but has never had to use it. If needed, however, the extra practice can make a difference. Having confidence in his shot can allow him to wait an extra second before having to fire. "Most people don't question me because of my size," he said, standing at just over six feet. "But knowing that I'm proficient with my revolver helps so if it ever came down to it I think I'd come out on top."
(12/03/90 10:00am)
University Police arrested three Temple University students early Saturday morning after they allegedly assaulted a University student at 40th and Walnut streets. University Police Sergeant Thomas Messner said a male University student received superficial head and face injuries in the attack. He was treated at Student Health and released. Police offered no motive for the beating, saying only that it did not appear to be a robbery or racially motivated. Messner said Temple students Bradley Rogers, 21, Eric Hildebrandt, 19, and David Herman, 19, have been charged with assault. In another incident, a University parking attendant was robbed early Thursday night by a a group of men claiming to have a gun. Messner said two or three males approached the attendant at the lot at 36th and Walnut streets at about 7 p.m. One of the men told the attendant he had a gun and then robbed the register. Further details on the incident were unavailable. The University installed bulletproof glass at all parking lot booths in February, 1989 after an attendant was shot in the stomach at the River Field lot. Director of Transportation and Parking Robert Furniss was not available for comment. Messner said police also responded to a robbery at 1 a.m. Saturday at 43rd and Locust streets. He said the victim was robbed of $30 by a man claiming to have a gun. Messner did not know if the victim was a student. In addition to the beating and the robberies, there were a series of less serious crimes over the weekend. University Police also responded late Saturday night to reports that a juvenile was randomly spraying pedestrians with mace. Police stopped an 11-year-old boy on the 3900 block of Walnut Street and confiscated a hunting knife and a can of mace dog repellent from him. Since none of the victims identified themselves to police, Messner said police could not press charges. The boy was released into the custody of his guardian. Also, brothers of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity stopped an intruder in their house early Friday morning. They held the man until police arrived and arrested him for trespassing. Residents of an off-campus house on the 200 block of S. 42nd Street called police at 6:30 p.m. Saturday to report a man loitering and prowling around their house. Messner said police stopped the man and later learned he was wanted on an outstanding warrant for a narcotics violation. In other incidents, police investigated the attempted theft of a jeep from a parking lot at 38th and Spruce streets, the theft of tools from the Institute of Contemporary Art construction site, the removal of a manhole cover on the 3700 block of Chestnut Street and the theft of a radar detector from a car on the 3400 block of Sansom Street. (CUT LINE) Please see CRIME, page 2 CRIME, from page 1
(11/28/90 10:00am)
A University spokesperson said yesterday that the couple beaten in an off-campus robbery Sunday night were not as seriously injured as police originally believed, and the address was also reported incorrectly. University spokesperson Joanna Vogel said yesterday that -- contrary to what police reported Sunday night -- only one of the victims, the husband, was hospitalized. The man, a graduate student, remained in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania last night. University Police reported Sunday night that both victims were University students and that both victims were in HUP Monday afternoon, one in the intensive care unit. The incorrect information was taken by a police spokesperson apparently from the initial crime report, which was written by an officer who saw the student at HUP, according to University Police. University Police reports are considered confidential, and the report was not available to the DP for verification. The female victim, who is not a student, received only minor injuries, Vogel said. She was treated at Student Health Sunday night and released. According to University Police, two men armed with a gun forced their way into the couple's apartment just after 10 p.m. Sunday night. The men robbed the couple of $30, a $200 watch and a cassette recorder. After robbing them, the men beat them over the head, police said. How the men entered the apartment is unclear. Accounts from a friend of the couple and police reports differ on the sequence of events. Police said Monday the two robbers accosted both victims outside their apartment, held them at gunpoint and then entered the house. But Associate Sociology Professor Susan Watkins, a friend of the couple, said she believes only the woman was approached on the street. The robbers held her at gunpoint to force their way into the house, Watkins said. The male victim, reached at his HUP hospital room last night, declined to comment on the incident.
(11/27/90 10:00am)
Two graduate students remain hospitalized after they were beaten and robbed at gunpoint upon returning to their off-campus house Sunday night. The students, a married couple, told University Police that two men followed them to their house -- on Beige Block, or the 200 block of S. 41st Street -- at about 10:15 p.m. Sunday. Once at the house, one of the men pulled out a gun and put it behind the husband's head, saying that if either student yelled, both would be shot, according to police. The men forced their way into the student's apartment and then beat the students over the head. Police did not specify what they were beaten with, but University Police spokesperson Sylvia Canada said they received "severe head injuries." The students described one of the suspects as a male about 6 feet tall, with dark hair and wearing a dark jacket with a hood. Canada said further information on the incident was unavailable because police were unable to get details from the students due to the extent of their injuries. Aside from the incident, University Police reported a relatively quiet Thanksgiving recess. Canada said no more crimes against people were reported during the break, and added that there were no reports of burglaries.
(11/21/90 10:00am)
University Police will maintain their increased patrols over Thanksgiving break, Captain John Richardson said yesterday. Richardson said in a student forum on security yesterday that he had good news and bad news for students staying on campus for the break. "The bad news is, crime does not take a holiday," he said. "It does not take Thanksgiving break. But the good news is, the crime-stoppers don't take a break either." He said the University will have full, regular patrols throughout the days and will continue to have double coverage during the evening to early-morning hours. Transportation Director Bob Furniss said Escort Service will not be available on Thanksgiving Day but will run during normal hours the rest of the break. The University has historically had crime troubles over Thanksgiving break. In 1985, graduate student Meera Ananthakrishnan was murdered in her Graduate Towers apartment over the break. In 1986, a man allegedly broke into the Quadrangle and raped a student after tying up her male companion. Richardson said students should be extra cautious over the break since fewer students are around. He said students should not hesitate to call police if they notice anything out of the ordinary. "Call the campus police if you see anything -- anything of a suspicious nature," he said. "It might be small, but if it crosses your mind it might have some credence." "Let's make this a safe break," he added.
(11/21/90 10:00am)
Several University administrators and community leaders told a small crowd of students yesterday that they must do everything they can to protect themselves from crime -- and then told them how to do it. Nine panelists spent nearly two hours giving students safety tips and outlining the University's safety services in a special student forum on security. Only about 20 students attended the Houston Hall forum, organized by College junior Lara Leibman. Most of them asked questions of the panelists, and all seemed to be satisfied with the answers. The overall message the panelists presented was that the University and the local community are making an effort to stop crime and that if students look out for themselves and their neighbors, the crime problem will decrease. "Whatever I tell you, you can still be a victim," warned Bruce Price, a crime prevention officer for the city's 18th Police District. "There's nothing that will protect you 100 percent. That's why it's important to do everything you can." "Keep it simple," he added. "Try to put as much protection on yourself as you can and if you're a victim, try to notice as much as you can so that we can possibly catch somebody." Senior Vice President Marna Whittington promised that security is the University's "top priority." "We need all of you as partners to try to reduce the opportunities for crime," Whittington said. "We're committed to making sure people know we're serious about crime on campus." Whittington said the University has a "three-pronged" plan of attack against crime. The first, she said, is the deterrent police provide. The second, she said, is to improve the environment in which students live. Automatic teller machines in dormitories, improvements to campus lighting, and transportation around campus all create a better environment. The third "prong," Whittington said, is an information network. She said the University has to let students know about the services that are available, and students need to report suspicious activity to police. "We want this campus safe for everyone in this community and if you have any ideas, we'd like to hear them," she said. Other speakers outlined their roles in this plan. University Police Captain John Richardson talked about the recent expansion of police patrols. Director of Off-Campus Living Eleni Zatz explained her department's off-campus housing security inspections. Blondell Reynolds, the director of the West Philadelphia Partnership, and Stephanie Washington, of Community Intervention Programs, also talked about their efforts. Reynolds told students they are not alone in their concern about crime. She said the local community is also "struggling" with the problem. Washington said students, living either on or off-campus, need to meet their neighbors and establish ties with people around them. Simply saying hello, she said, can help establish a basic relationship and enough caring that people will look out for each other.
(11/20/90 10:00am)
Students worried about crime will be able to take their concerns to the University's safety and security policy makers in a public forum today. Several University administrators, including Senior Vice President Marna Whittington, University Police Captain John Richardson and Director of Victim Support Services Ruth Wells, will serve as panelists in the open forum. Students will be able to ask questions and raise concerns about the University's efforts to prevent crime and about ways to protect themselves and their homes. The forum was organized entirely by College junior Lara Leibman. Leibman said she became concerned about crime on campus after her house was broken into this fall. Leibman said most students do not take the time to learn about crime and how to prevent it until they become victims. She said she hopes the forum will convince students to "take an active stand about fighting crime." Richardson, who will represent University Police, said he is happy to help with the forum and help students learn about the University's anti-crime efforts. "I think if they want to have a forum and want to know these things. . . about all the resources we have available, I think it's an excellent idea," Richardson said. "They can get some idea of what we're doing and how it's being attacked." "With the cast that she's got together, she's touched on all the resources we have available," he added. "It will give them an opportunity to ask some of the key players some of the key questions." Richardson said the forum could be helpful for administrators as well as students. "Perhaps we can learn something, and in turn, they can learn something," he said. Leibman said she has met with all of the panelists and has sat in on a meeting of the University Council's Safety and Security Committee. She said even though organizing the forum has taken a great deal of work, she is pleased with the support she has received from administrators. "Everybody's always talking about how Penn needs to be a community," she said. "We can't be a community unless we join together and I think fighting crime is one way to join together as a community." The forum is scheduled for today from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Bodek Lounge in Houston Hall.
(11/15/90 10:00am)
The District Attorney's office yesterday cleared the first hurdle in prosecuting the two men accused of running over a University student in a robbery last month, convincing the judge that there is sufficient evidence to bring the men to trial. Assistant District Attorney Nancy Beam Winter also advanced the case against the man believed to be responsible for five stabbings near the University. Additionally, Philadelphia Police yesterday charged the accused stabber, Wayne Christian, 30, of West Philadelphia, with five more robberies. Judge Linwood Blount scheduled pretrial conferences in both cases for December 5. About 20 students attended yesterday's two preliminary hearings, only a handful of whom came on the bus the University provided. The others, mostly friends of College junior Roberta Koeppel, who was seriously injured in last month's robbery, came on their own or with Victim Support Services Director Ruth Wells. In the first hearing, the court-appointed lawyer for Christopher Turner, 28, of Baltimore, Maryland, who is accused of robbing and then running over Koeppel, said he would seek a psychiatric evaluation of his client. Turner and his alleged accomplice, Allan Waters, 23, of the 1300 block of S. Ruby Street, are facing charges of aggravated assault, robbery and conspiracy for the October 19 robbery. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where Koeppel has been treated since the incident, would not give any information on her condition yesterday. The only witness against Waters and Turner was College junior Heidi Howard. The testimony of Howard, who said she saw the entire incident, is expected to be central to the prosecution's case. Howard is believed to be the only person other than Koeppel who was close enough to see the men in the van. The College junior told the court she and Koeppel had just left Koeppel's car on the 4000 block of Locust Street at about 10:30 p.m. when a white van pulled up and stopped next to Koeppel. She said she saw Turner, a stocky, black man with closely-cropped hair, behind the wheel looking out at Koeppel. She said Waters reached out and grabbed hold of Koeppel's bookbag. When he had a firm grasp of the bag, the van sped off, she said. Waters, a tall, thin black man who appeared in court wearing dingy gray Notre Dame sweats, has a distinctive high box-cut haircut and a small goatee. Winter led her sole witness slowly and deliberately through testimony. On several occasions, Howard appeared to fight back tears. Defense attorneys for the two men made few dents in her testimony. Turner's lawyer questioned Howard's ability to see the men clearly in the dark. Howard said a streetlight and an outside light from a nearby house provided ample light. Winter said she was pleased with the outcome of the hearing and with Howard's testimony. "I think it went fine," she said. "[Howard] told what happened very clearly and she answered all the questions well." The College junior's testimony clarified how Koeppel was dragged behind the van. She said Koeppel carried her bag on her left hip with the strap running across her body to her opposite shoulder. Winter met with several of Koeppel's friends outside the courtroom just after the hearing, explaining the process to them. Turner's attorney attempted to petition the court for an official psychiatric evaluation of his client. Judge Blount told him he could not do so at the hearing. The lawyer then said he would make the petition before the pre-trial conference. Winter said she was not sure what effect a psychiatric evaluation would have on the case but admitted the motion might have merit. She said Turner does have a history of mental problems but would not specify what those are. In the second hearing, two students, Wharton senior Michael McClintic and Wharton sophomore Gustave Lipman, testified that they were robbed and stabbed by Christian. Each identified Christian as his assailant. Christian was originally charged with three counts each of robbery, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment and several other crimes. These charges stem from three knifepoint robberies last Tuesday morning. A local man also testified that he was attacked that morning and threatened with a knife. He was not stabbed. He also identified Christian as his assailant. All three victims had previously identified Christian to police. Upon learning this, Christian's court-appointed defense attorney waived Christian's right to a lineup. Christian did not testify and did not speak at all during the hearing. Although all three victims had described him as agitated, he was calm and sedate in court. The new robbery charges against Christian were not made public at the hearing but an 18th District detective said last night Christian was charged with five more counts of robbery. Additional details on the charges were not available through University or Philadelphia Police.
(11/15/90 10:00am)
University Police officials yesterday decided to ease the burden extra nighttime coverage has placed on officers, giving them a greater say in how many hours and how many days a week they work. Captain John Richardson said yesterday that the change will not bring any reduction in patrols. He said the department will continue to provide double coverage in the night and early-morning hours. Police doubled the nighttime patrols nine days ago after a series of violent crimes just off campus. Last Monday night, two students were stabbed by a man believed to have committed as many as five stabbings in the University City area. The same night, an undercover University Police officer shot one of four men attempting to rob him and his partner. Police and other University officials said they hoped the increased show of force would both prevent crimes and reduce an atmosphere of fear on the campus. But both Richardson and Sergeant Thomas Messner said the increased patrols are starting to take a toll on the officers. Under the system used this past week, officers on the evening and early-morning shifts were forced to work an extra four hours a day, making for 12-hour shifts. "Twelve-hour days start to fatigue you rather fast," Messner said. "Anytime that you work 12 hours a day for a week, it does take a little bit out of you," Richardson said. "Let's face it. The fatigue factor does come in." To solve this problem, Richardson decided to let officers volunteer to fill extra shifts. Those who feel up to working the extra hours or want extra overtime pay will be able to work those hours, he said. They can choose to work extra hours on their shifts or come in on their days off. Messner said he expects that officers will volunteer to fill the shifts. But he said that if enough officers do not volunteer, supervisors will assign extra shifts. "It takes some of the pressure off the people who have families, who have commitments," he said. "It makes for less wear and tear on the officer doing it that way." Messner said the new system will be "more amicable to everyone." The sergeant said the move is not an attempt to cut back on patrols or to save money. He said the new system could end up costing the University more money if officers choose to work seven days a week. The officers' union contract calls for overtime pay for extra hours plus an additional premium if officers give up both their days off in a given week. It is not known how much the redoubled police coverage is costing the University. Senior Vice President Marna Whittington, who oversees University Police, has repeatedly declined to say how much extra the University is spending for the increase. So far, police said, the patrols seem to be working. "When we look at the statistics, it doesn't look like we've had anything major," Police spokesperson Sylvia Canada said. She said police have not had reports of any guns near campus and have responded to only one robbery. In that robbery, a student was robbed of $4 by two men who threatened him with a bottle at 9:50 p.m. Tuesday at 40th and Pine streets. "You can't say how many crimes you have prevented," Richardson said. "But it seems we are being somewhat successful compared to what happened in previous weeks." He said police are not yet ready to start scaling back patrols. "We're just going to have to wait and see what the future brings and if we feel like we have a hold on this thing," he said.
(11/14/90 10:00am)
Several speakers called for increased sensitivity to all students' needs yesterday as over 50 people gathered to remember three students who were murdered while attending the University. In a memorial service for former students Meera Ananthakrishnan, Cyril Leung and Tyrone Robertson, University administrators and the students' friends and families said the University must work to create a more compassionate environment where the needs of students from diverse backgrounds are recognized and met. But while they called for more action, they also recognized efforts that some groups and individuals have already made. The University Council Safety and Security Committee gave its first annual Meera Ananthakrishnan/Cyril Leung Award to Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape. The award was started this year to recognize a group or individual that has improved safety at the University. Committee Co-chairperson Jeffery Jacobson said STAAR's efforts to promote awareness of and to prevent acquaintance rape and its recent push for security changes made the group a unanimous choice. "Together we have the power," he said. "Together, every member of this community has the power." In accepting the award, STAAR representatives said they were disturbed that it takes a memorial service to bring people together to work on the crime problem but added they are glad students are becoming concerned. Penn Women's Center Director Elena DiLapi praised the choice, saying STAAR has "made an incredible impact" on acquaintance rape. "They've really made the issue one of great public concern," she said. The rest of the 90-minute ceremony in the Houston Hall Bowl Room was dominated by speakers telling of the sadness and sense of loss the murders have created and of the hope they have for the future. Ananthakrishnan was stabbed to death in her Graduate Towers apartment during the 1985 Thanksgiving break. Leung was beaten to death in October 1988 by a group of local youths in nearby Clark Park. Robertson died last December when he was shot in his hometown of Chester. Several speakers, including Foreign Students Advisor Margaret Gilligan and Anu Rao, from the Association of Indians in America said crime-prevention efforts must first start by creating a compassionate community. Anthropology Professor Peggy Sanday summed up the service, saying at an emotional moment that the University should stop concentrating on "money, status and entrenched privilege" and work towards social justice. Rao said she was encouraged by the response of the community to Ananthakrishnan's death five years ago and by continuing efforts to help international students adjust to life at the University. "It's a sad thing we're talking about," she said. "But for me it represents a lot of hope." Ada Robertson, mother of victim Tyrone Robertson, said the service has helped her family heal. She said the response from the University, including the administration and her son's friends, has made a difference. "It's becoming a more glad occasion," she said. "The burden's being lifted slightly each time we come here to see it."
(11/14/90 10:00am)
On the morning of September 2, members of the St. Joseph Baptist Church had to step over bloodstains on the sidewalk as they entered the church for Sunday morning services. Only hours earlier, two young men died and two others were critically injured in a hail of automatic weapons fire just feet from the church's front door at 40th and Sansom streets. The men, who were about to drive away after taking in a movie nearby, were apparently the victims of a gangland hit. But churchgoers didn't miss a beat. Instead of reacting with outrage, shock or grief at this murder at its doorstep, many members of the congregation shrugged the incident off. "It wasn't unnerving for them," said Reverend Walter Thompson. "They have been exposed for so long to so many crimes in the neighborhood that it wasn't a shock in that they have seen it before. It was just in a different setting." Crime, it seems, is a fact of life in West Philadelphia. · For the vast majority of University students, Philadelphia's crime problem is only of temporary concern. Those who are bothered by the constant threat of crime remind themselves that they can leave it behind after four years. But the full-time residents of West Philadelphia are faced with a very different problem -- how to live a normal life and provide a safe environment for their families. In recent years, these tasks have grown increasingly difficult. Police say it is impossible to patrol every street corner. The 18th Police District covers a total of 3.4 square miles, from the Schuylkill River west to 69th Street. In that area, police are assigned to protect over 88,000 people. The figure does not include University students living on campus. Making matters worse, police said, is that many more people travel to or through the University City area to work. They estimated the area's daytime population to be about 150,000. Last year, police had to respond to over 100,000 calls in the district. There have been more than 20 homicides in the district already this year. Contributing to the rising crime rate is a high incidence of poverty in the area, a city education system that many say is failing its students, and an ever-growing drug problem. Ed Ryals, an 18th District community relations officer, said the drug problem is "the key to it all." He said 75 percent of all convicts in the city test positive for drugs when they report to jail. He said addicts commit crimes both to obtain money to buy drugs and because they lose the ability to reason while they are high. Drugs, he said, often lead to the more violent crimes. "Violence has become a way of life," he said. "You have an argument over a cup of coffee in the parking lot and you get shot now," he said. "The impact on the mind due to drugs -- people have no fear of the consequences of committing a crime." "The only thing you care about is the drug," said Bruce Price, an 18th District crime prevention officer. "You don't care about anybody or anything." Both Price and Ryals said there are several areas within a few blocks of the University where drug sales take place. They said 45th and 48th streets are the scene of many drug sales, just a few blocks north of Market Street. Members of the Spruce Hill Community Association said they have tried to push drug sales away from 46th and Walnut streets and 46th and Woodland streets. The University itself has been the center of local drug trade on at least two occasions. College and Dental School graduate Larry Lavin ran a multi-million dollar cocaine ring near the University in the early 1980s, and Wharton student Alexander Moscovits was convicted in 1988 to 17 years in prison on 18 drug charges. "Drug sales are everywhere," Ryals said. "You can go to any institution in the area and someone can get you what you want." · "Bill," who has lived 10 blocks west of campus for 40 years, says he is feeling the effects of this problem. Strange characters stalk victims on his block, he said, and he suspects that a few nearby houses are centers of drug trade. Bill, who declined to give his full name or his address, said he has been the victim of several crimes. His mother was robbed three times, once receiving a severe beating. One of his aunts was attacked by a group of men who broke into her house on the 4200 block of Pine Street several years ago. He himself was slashed on the hand when he tried to protect someone from a knifepoint robbery and beating at a West Philadelphia train station. "We've got some real problems out here and I'm afraid it's not getting any better," he said. "We're very, very scared. My mother is afraid to carry a handbag. Some of the characters see a bag and they're just like a wild dog looking for food." "Unfortunately, our family has suffered a lot of crime in the West Philadelphia neighborhood," he added. For years, Bill said, he has watched his neighborhood deteriorate. A small community group for his block has been able to do little to thwart increasing crime. For years, he said, he remained in the neighborhood because he had older relatives nearby. Now he'd like to leave but can't afford to. "It's too late," he said. "The value of our property has fallen too low. The further west you go, the value drops. When you get out past 50th Street, the value's just not there." · Despite its crime problem, Bob Behr likes living in West Philadelphia. Behr, who has lived in the area for over 20 years, has had his house broken into twice and has witnessed a handful of muggings. But the crime hasn't forced him out or caused him to give up hope. "We'd be happier if there weren't any crime to deal with, but we like it here anyway," he said. "We can really envision this area being crime-free someday," he added. "We really can. It's going to take big changes in society but we can see it happening." Behr shares his vision of an improved West Philadelphia with the 600 members of the Spruce Hill Community Association. The group draws members from the area just west of the University -- from 40th to 46th streets between Market and Woodland streets. For the past two years, Behr has served as the group's president. The group, Behr said, has been together for over 30 years. In the last few years it has put together a town watch program in the area. But crime is not its only focus. This group, like many others in the city, is based on giving residents a way to make a difference in their community. The group also concentrates on zoning, education and city planning. Ryals and Price said groups like Spruce Hill have sprung up throughout the community in recent years to band together against crime. They said Spruce Hill is more tied to the University than most. "They work near the University and they live near the University," University Police Captain John Richardson said. "They want to change the image, the profile of the surrounding community." In dealing with any topic, the main thrust of the group is empowering residents. Behr said when residents join, they feel that even small efforts contribute to a larger whole and will make a difference. By learning ways to handle crime, Behr said, residents feel they are in control and not at the mercy of thugs hiding in the shadows. "If you never think about it or you're scared all the time, you're not going to know how to handle yourself," Behr said. "I think a real remedy for that is getting involved in this. Once I'm involved I feel very much empowered. I feel like I'm able to handle myself and I'm doing everything I can to make myself secure." · To a certain degree, the crime problem Spruce Hill residents face is different from that at the University. This fall, armed robberies have been the major problem for students. Behr said his members are less worried about armed robbery than burglary of their homes. He said burglaries, stolen cars and vandalism are the most common problems, but assaults do occur. "Most of us put quite a lot of effort into making our houses safer and protecting ourself," he said, explaining that unprotected houses are easy targets. "You can really invite something. Thieves, in particular, go for places that are easy to get into." Residents have learned to walk in the middle of the street, not on the sidewalk. Walking there, he said, gives them more room to escape and gives neighbors a clearer view of the pedestrians. The group has also worked with the city police on an anti-car theft program called Project Save. Police give out special stickers to residents to put on their cars. The stickers give police the authority to stop the driver of the car between midnight and 5 a.m. to see if it has been stolen. Without having to establish probable cause that the car is stolen, the police are freed of restraints by the owners that would normally prevent them from making arrests. Behr said the threat of crime comes from different groups. "Whenever you get an idea of a stereotype in your mind -- either racial or geographical -- there's always something that changes that around here," he said. · Rev. Thompson, like Behr, believes there is still hope. He said he's not willing to resign himself to crime like many members of his congregation. He said they need to understand the problem and work to stop it. He added that he regularly uses his sermons to "sensitize people to the senseless murders and crimes that are perpetrated." "This is what I'm trying to do -- to get the people to not be callous to crime and to be sensitive to the fact that it's close to home," Thompson said. "We should be so outraged to the point where we're moved to make some sacrifice to deal with crime in the city." Not all of his congregation needs prodding, he stressed. About half of its 500 members do some kind of charitable work. The church shares the same ultimate goals as the Spruce Hill Association, but it approaches the problem from a different perspective. Whereas Spruce Hill is geared toward protecting residents from crime, Thompson said the church puts its efforts into solving the "root causes" of crime -- worldliness, false role models and a lack of hope for success. He said the church tries to provide education to its younger members, to give them a positive self-image and to offer support if they falter. "If we can reach these individuals, show them that we care, that they do count, then we can reduce the crime in West Philadelphia," he said. But he is also realistic. "I don't think we will ever stop crime," he admitted. "But I think we need to find ways to do something."
