Security concerns

I t is encouraging that a pair of suspects were arrested in conjunction with the recent rash of crimes on campus. But the fact still remains that 14 incidents have occurred on or near campus in the past three weeks. That's more than twice as high as the campus crime rate in 2004. What is more, several of those attacks on students have taken place in what should be very visible and highly trafficked areas.

While this by no means suggests that Penn is somehow under siege, it is a strong indication that more proactive steps need to be taken to combat this issue.

Obviously the Penn and city police departments cannot foresee where crime is going to happen today or tomorrow. But what they do know is where hotspots exist and where pedestrians, namely students, are most vulnerable.

In the past week, police have taken action by shifting patrols and putting more temporary cops on the street behind $1 million of additional University funding. These dollars and patrols should be made permanent.

A thorough review of campus corridors should be conducted to evaluate where additional lighting should be added. This is most urgently needed to the west of campus where thousands of students walk home in the dark.

University officials have said for some time that they are looking into more streetlights. They should be installed immediately -- now is the time not for debate, but for action.

In an e-mail to the entire campus this weekend, President Gutmann stressed the University's efforts to increase security, and closed with a directive to tell everyone's parents what Penn is doing. This is not a solution. What people off campus think about safety pales in comparison to what people on campus are actually facing when they walk the streets.

Only time will tell whether the University's latest efforts to curb crime have been successful. Penn has a history of making great strides in safety. It would be a shame if that reputation were jeopardized by a prolonged stretch of insecurity.

Reassurances are nice, but results are everything.

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