Keep up the good fight

It's been exactly two months since the University announced it would increase its security budget by $5 million in response to an uptick in crime and a major shooting that left a student wounded. And conditions around campus seem to be getting better.

So far this semester, only nine robberies have been reported on campus, compared to 38 last semester. Overall crime is down three percent over the same period last year.

It's doubtful that the increase in security funds -- from $23 to $28 million -- is solely responsible for the decline. According to Penn's own criminology expert, Lawrence Sherman, the cold weather of the last three months also goes a long way toward discouraging criminal activity, and other external factors probably play a role.

But thanks to efforts from the Division of Public Safety and University President Amy Gutmann's beefed up budget, there has been a highly visible increase in the presence of police and security officers on and off campus. And it's likely that criminals have noticed the change as well.

The worry that swept through campus after January's shooting has mostly dissipated, and the large majority of students rightly feel safe walking home at night with so many security officers around.

DPS, however, must work hard to ensure that this new vigilance doesn't slip into complacency. The spring is usually accompanied by a decrease in crime as students learn their way around campus and the city.

Crime is also often cyclical, and, especially with warmer weather around the corner, security officers must maintain their strong presence as a deterrent.

It shouldn't take another horrible incident to spur the University to act. By keeping its guard up, Penn will hopefully avoid such violence from occurring in the first place.

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