Letters to the Editor

New security measures

To the Editor:

We are aware that University City, like many neighborhoods across the City of Philadelphia, has experienced an increase in robberies in recent weeks. We are proactively and immediately taking steps to counter this recent trend.

Penn Public Safety has increased the number of both uniformed and plainclothes police officers and Allied Security officers on patrol during the evening and early morning hours, both on campus and in the community where recent robberies have occurred. In addition, the University City District will deploy additional Safety Ambassadors between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m.

The Philadelphia Police, SEPTA Transit Police and other local law enforcement agencies are adding additional patrols in our area. More security cameras are being installed around campus to allow for expanded closed-circuit television patrols. New cameras will be activated west of 40th Street.

Safety and security are a shared responsibility. To that end, we encourage all Penn students, faculty and staff to use caution walking during the late night hours and to utilize the many safety resources available to them.

• Walking Escorts. The U.C. Walk program (215-898-WALK) provides walking escort service 24 hours a day throughout University City.

• Penn Transit Services. Penn buses run east and west from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Penn Shuttle Services (215-898-RIDE) provides riders with off-campus "to door" service after 6 p.m. in University City. Penn Shuttle Service to Center City will also be provided on weekends from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. and on weekdays from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. These services are available free of charge with a valid Penn ID.

• If you have a transportation need after 3 a.m., please contact Public Safety at 215-898-WALK or 215-573-3333.

I feel certain that with this increased level of policing and a heightened awareness by every member of the Penn community, we are doing everything we can to confront this recent challenge. We will continue to work with the community to keep our campus and our neighborhood safe.

Maureen Rush Vice President for Public Safety

Solving the crime problem

To the Editor:

As a member of the Penn community, I am writing to express my concern about the number of recent crimes committed against students and non-students who live on or near the Penn campus. While I am neither a criminologist nor a statistician, I have been working at Penn for three years, and it is my distinct impression that there have been an unusually high number of robberies and muggings reported these last few weeks.

I was particularly interested to read the comments of Philip Nichols, Legal Studies professor and Stouffer College House Master, in Tuesday's issue of the DP, who was quoted as saying, "We could have an armed guard standing at every 20 feet and there would still be crime... there is less crime here than in other heavily urbanized areas."

While I agree with Dr. Nichols that Public Safety is doing a great job, I take issue with the idea that the amount of crime reported thus far is somehow expected or acceptable. The fact of the matter is, any crime against a student is unacceptable, and that should be the goal of any university. I have lived near a number of other urban universities (for example, Johns Hopkins and Georgetown) where crimes against students were not uncommon, most likely because students are regarded as vulnerable targets.

I also had the opportunity to witness changes in public safety practices that greatly alleviated the crime problem at these schools. For example, at Johns Hopkins, a "line of sight" policy was instituted whereby university police were positioned on the campus so as to ensure one officer would have visual contact with the next closest officer. This provided an excellent response to crimes committed, and greatly deterred further crimes.

Again, I am not criticizing the Penn Public Safety Division. In fact, from articles in the DP, I am incredibly impressed with the rapid and efficient responses of both Penn and Philadelphia Police officers to crimes committed on or near the campus. My point is that we cannot be complacent or tolerant of any crimes committed in our area. If it takes an "armed guard standing every 20 feet" to help prevent further crime, then I think that needs to be done.

Of course, increasing the size of the police force is never a complete solution to a crime problem, but it is not a bad place to start. Especially since solutions that address the psychosocial etiologies of crime take years, if not decades, to show results. If we wait too long, the consequences might include a student getting shot and killed on campus. That would not be good for anybody.

Paul Conn Professor of Medicine

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