Public, officials assess University Police force

There wasn't a prosecution table in sight, and the defense and jury stayed home. But on Monday evening, at the Division of Public Safety building, the University Police Department went on a trial of opinion as it hosted a hearing to gather public feedback for its ongoing accreditation process. For nearly an hour, about a dozen police officials, students and community members addressed a committee of assessors with their opinions on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Penn Police. The hearing was a mandatory step in the process of departmental accreditation, an honor the UPPD is seeking to bolster its stature in the law enforcement community and gain legal and financial advantages. Currently, only 26 university police forces nationwide are accredited. Three assessors from the Committee on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies recorded the testimonials, which focused on the department's suitability for accreditation. The assessors will wrap up their five-day, on-site review of the UPPD's procedures today. The vast majority of comments presented at the meeting were positive, as a number of high-ranking police and security officials from throughout the city attended to help the UPPD's cause. "Right from the get-go I was impressed with [University Police Chief Maureen Rush's] demeanor, her professional knowledge and, of course, her experience as a police commander," Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney said. "You'll be hard-pressed to find a more professional administrator," he added. "The men and women she commands are excellent police officers." Others focused on the professionalism and knowledge exhibited by UPPD officers. "The police officers have always been very articulate, very on-the-ball and very helpful in discussing issues related to student conduct," said former University Honor Council Chairman Kevin Hodges, a Wharton senior. A number of critical comments were offered by a trio of students in the audience, who chose to cite the department's relationship with students of color as evidence of a serious operational deficiency. "I come before you because there is a slight double-standard when it comes to who benefits from the police department's crime prevention efforts," said College senior Dan Cherry, a representative from UMOJA, an umbrella organization for several African-American student groups. "We're concerned that all issues are being handled -- not just those in the majority community," he added. One student discussed the unfair treatment which she said is typically offered to people with no affiliation to the University. "I've been hearing a lot of stories of [departmental] misconduct in terms of dealing with people with color," College sophomore Korzu Taplin said. "I feel that people in the community are often treated differently if they're not a Penn student." The comments of Cherry and Taplin drew an immediate response from several officials in the audience. "I'm not a student, though I know their issues are real," said Affirmative Action Executive Director Valerie Hayes, adding that Rush and her department have taken great strides in recent years to make their department as fair as possible. Despite the differing opinions, University Police officials said they were confident that the accreditation process will still go forward successfully. "I think in general terms it was a positive experience," Rush said. Once the assessors conclude their review later today, they will make a report to a final CALEA committee, which will hold a review hearing this July in Illinois. It is at that hearing where the department will learn whether it has been granted the honor of accreditation. "[The accreditation review] is not an easy process, and it's noteworthy that any police agency would set this type of goal and work hard to achieve it," said Albert Oglesby, deputy chief of the George Mason University Police Department and the lead CALEA assessor.

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