Brandon Moyse | A Band-Aid solution to safe streets

I didn't shed any tears when they shut down Koko Bongo. And when Wizzards closed, Atlantis moved in, lunch buffet and all. But forcing Philly Diner to close at 2 a.m. on weekends and 1 a.m. on weeknights? That's more than I can take.

It isn't even because I'll no longer have a place to go at four in the morning for a milk shake and a sampler platter - the fact that Philly Diner is closing early in response to a February shooting as part of an effort to reduce crime is what really bothers me.

By limiting ourselves in order to deter crime, we send out the signal that we are scared and passive. The War on Crime may not be an ideological one, but the change to Philly Diner's hours is a knee-jerk, defeatist move. Penn shouldn't just be an unfriendly place for criminals; it should be a downright hostile one.

If anything, the timing and target were somewhat perplexing. This wasn't the first violent incident on the 3900 block of Walnut - there have been several altercations outside McDonald's this year (also a 24/7 establishment) and a shooting inside Philly Diner in 2005. But McDonald's is kind of powerful, so the University can't order them to move, limit their hours or even install a security guard. They can, though, control Philly Diner.

Penn Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli said this incident "was particularly disturbing" because it was a fight that escalated into shots being randomly fired. He added that among the alternatives considered was to limit late-night access to the Diner to Penn students, but that had too many logistical difficulties.

The change in hours, though, is one that is counterproductive and may actually serve to increase crime in the area. Unlike Koko Bongo and Wizzards (neither of which was owned by Penn), there's nothing inherently dangerous about a 24-hour restaurant that serves a breakfast combo platter named "The French Decision." But by closing earlier, pedestrian traffic will be reduced, giving would-be muggers and burglars more cover in the night. The only types of crimes that are prevented by closing Philly Diner are crimes inside Philly Diner. That doesn't mean those shootings won't now move to McDonald's (oh wait - remember last summer?), Fresh Grocer or the streets.

What Penn has done here is the equivalent of cleaning your room by throwing everything on your floor under your bed. It's not a solution. My solution is to reclaim the campus for the students. Ours may be a campus in the city, but most of this land and these buildings belong to the University.

Carnaroli said he doesn't want Walnut Street "to become a [late-night] destination for people outside the Penn community." I completely agree with him, but closing the Diner early means it isn't a late-night destination for students, either.

The Penn Police need to get more aggressive and proactive on all levels, from sketchy-looking loiterers to drunk-and-disorderly conduct to assaults. When he was elected, Mayor Michael Nutter promised an approach to crime similar to the one New York employed in the 1990s. At least in the Penn patrol zone, we haven't seen much of that yet, although the Division of Public Safety should be commended for their success at reducing violent crime over the past year.

Instead of just breaking up fights or telling groups of shady-looking characters to go hang out elsewhere, Penn Police should shake them down or bring them in for a night. I'll be willing to bet that if they're spending a night in jail every time they come to Penn's campus and cause minor disturbances, they'll be less willing to come here and cause major ones. Don't give them that inch, and they won't take a yard. And for those of you who object and say that even criminals deserve the protection of the Fourth Amendment: What about the rights of the victims?

When I was applying to colleges, being in a city was a major consideration. I've always been a city kid, and I was willing to accept that living in an American city would be much different - namely, more dangerous - than living in a Canadian one. But accepting this fact doesn't mean we have to accept crime limiting our lifestyles on campus.

Brandon Moyse is a College junior from Montreal. He is the former senior sports editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. What Aboot It, Eh? appears on Thursdays. His email address is moyse@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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