The landscape of the University of Pennsylvania has undergone serious physical changes in the last eight years, the most obvious examples of which are buildings such as the Inn at Penn and the new bookstore. These changes represent a serious investment: What is not as obvious, however, is the investment that the University has made in improving Penn's social landscape, specifically with regard to safety and reducing crime.
Statistics from the 2002-2003 year indicate that crime on campus is down 14 percent, and down 40 percent since 1996. These decreases are due in large part to efforts undertaken by the University, and for this they should be commended. These results are especially impressive given the extremely open nature of Penn's campus.
It is true that declining crime rates are part of a national trend. However, crime in Philadelphia has risen slightly in the last few years, and keeping Penn from being affected is of paramount importance. Crime is one of the biggest concerns for current students and is likely the biggest deterrent to prospective students and faculty.
This doesn't mean that our campus is 100 percent safe all of the time. Penn is still extremely urban and still requires of its students a degree of vigilance and precaution that other institutions do not.
But the steps taken by the University have made a significant difference. Increases in the frequency and number of police patrols, cameras, blue-light phones, among other precautions, have made Penn a much safer place. The effectiveness of this system was proven last week when officers caught a mugging on camera, responded and arrested the perpetrators that night.
It is also important to make a distinction in the type of crime experienced on campus: while theft is still an issue, violent crime has been almost nonexistent.
In addressing campus safety, the University tackled an issue that is of the utmost importance to the Penn community and has made positive strides. We congratulate them for this and hope to see more of the same in the future.
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