Penn Watch patrols to resume Sept. 24

Campus Greek organizations began Penn Watch last November in cooperation with the University Police Department. The program sends groups of two to four students to patrol parts of Walnut Street, Locust Walk, and Spruce Street during two peak crime hours in the early morning. Each student group is equipped with a flashlight and a radio tuned into a University Police frequency. Last semester, members wore bright yellow windbreakers with the Penn Watch logo on the back. Organizers said they expect new jackets this semester. Students do not carry weapons or interfere with crimes in progress, but contact University Police if they see anything suspicious. College and Wharton senior Adam Miller, a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, said that Penn Watch students will now patrol an extended Spruce Street route, which includes Baltimore Avenue and Pine and Delancey streets. Miller said there are now about 350 volunteers an increase of about 100 from last year. Between six and 15 go on patrol each night. In the future, Penn Watch may provide a shuttle escort service. Sigma Alpha Epsilon member Chris McLaughlin said that the program, currently made up solely of fraternity and sorority members, is seeking to include non-Greek students. "We'd like to involve the entire student body in this and develop a fourth route that would include the area around Hill House and English House," said the Wharton senior. The routes are now concentrated around Greek houses. McLaughlin said he hopes Penn Watch will help improve relations between Greeks and the rest of the University community. "In a sense, we're trying to prove to the surrounding environment that we are contributing more than parties," said McLaughlin. "We would like people to feel like there is some value to the Greeks beyond the social system."

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