The Division of Public Safety - which is charged with protecting Penn students, staff and the local community - is making you less safe.
Officers are making the same patrols and staff levels are not being reduced, but the department has suddenly decided it will withhold certain crime information.
DPS had long released the specific University affiliation of any victims of crime in its jurisdiction. This kept local residents better protected because the public and media were able to stay aware of trends involving segments of the population. That's no longer the case, since DPS has decided to put public relations above safety. It is now releasing only as much information - whether a victim is affiliated with Penn at all - as it is legally required to do.
Parents, want to know if it was a student who was shot off campus? Good luck. Grad students, want to know if you're a target when walking home to Center City? Not possible.
We expect more than the legal minimum from a division that gets nearly $30 million in University funds each year. Student safety, not image, should be the division's top priority.
What happened
The Division of Public Safety, which includes Penn police and security guards, is no longer releasing the specific University affiliation of victims - only whether or not they are affiliated with Penn.
What the decision means for you
It will be difficult to stay abreast of current crime trends in University City. Finding out whether crimes committed have occurred, specifically, against students or staff or faculty will be nearly impossible, which will make it hard to hold DPS accountable for campus crime.
What you can do
Send an e-mail to DPS head Maureen Rush at mrush@publicsafety.upenn.edu, DPS spokeswoman Karima Zedan at kzedan@publicsafety.upenn.edu and Penn President Amy Gutmann at president@pobox.upenn.edu and tell them your thoughts.
What the 'DP' is doing about it
Beginning today, the DP will be running a box on the front page of the newspaper counting the number of days since DPS officials first admitted to withholding crime information - until the practice ends.
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