Division of Public Safety earns top ranking again

For the sixth year in a row, the Division of Public Safety ranks first in safety and security, according to Security Magazine.

Every year, the magazine compiles a “Security 500” list by tracking data and applying metrics such as Security Spending/Person and Security Officers/Facility. The magazine collected data from universities across the nation and concluded that Penn scored the highest in the education sector for universities.

According to Security Magazine, the purpose of the “Security 500” is to create a database and ongoing peer review process between organizations. Drexel University’s public safety program ranked third.

Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said the title should be “shared with entire University.” She attributes DPS’s constant ability to adapt to new challenges to the department’s collaborative work with University leaders such as President Amy Gutmann and Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli.

“We feel fortunate that we work at the University of Pennsylvania,” Rush said.

Rush acknowledged that there is always room for improvement. For instance, DPS would like to see a decrease in theft from buildings, even though they have succeeded in driving down crime rates by 9 percent in the first ten months of this year compared to the same period in 2011.

But Rush said DPS is not sitting on its laurels. “It’s all about not staying stagnant,” she said. “We have big things planned for next year.”

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