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Vice President of Public Safety Maureen Rush presented this update at the October 17 University Council meeting. Safety and Security Update I would like to thank Council for this opportunity to provide a safety and security update. Over the past year the Division of Public Safety has worked diligently to accomplish the goals set forth by the University's Agenda for Excellence. During this presentation I hope to share with you our accomplishments and projects that are in progress, as well as future goals. First, I would like to highlight some key accomplishments of FY01: Accreditation The Penn Police Department achieved National Accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), thus becoming the first University Police Department and one of only nine Law Enforcement Agencies in the state of Pennsylvania to attain this certification. Out of 508 Law Enforcement agencies in the United States, only 29 Campus Law Enforcement agencies are certified. Arrest Protocol On March 20, 2001, Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney and I finalized our Memorandum of Understanding relating to our Arrest Protocol agreement. This allows the Penn Police Detectives to take the lead in all investigations within the UPPD patrol boundaries, which are 30th Street to 43rd, Market to Baltimore. Fire Safety Working with Facilities Services, the Fire and Emergency Services Department within the Division of Public Safety continues to oversee the design and installation of fire Sprinklers in all on-campus residences. Over the summer, Sprinkler systems were installed at the Class of 25, Dubois, and Van Pelt. This work will continue for the next three to four years in order to retrofit all Penn Residences. On October 9, 2001 Penn hosted the PFD's City-Wide Fire Drill on Penn's campus. This was the first time in the history of this event that this exercise was held at an institution. Historically, this drill has taken place in residential properties. We owe a great deal of thanks to the office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs and the brothers of Kappa Sigma and Phi Delta Theta who helped to simulate an actual fire, including smoke and the stress of exiting a fully engulfed structure. This exercise demonstrates the need for Fire Drills to be taken seriously, not just for fire evacuation, but also for any emergency requiring the immediate and prompt evacuation of a University building. During FY01 the Fire Safety unit conducted over 300 Fire Drills and 275 Safety workshops across campus and off campus UCA residences. The Division of Public Safety, working with the Penn community, intends to make fire safety and building evacuations a major initiative throughout the upcoming year. Allied Spectaguard/UCD Merger In 2000, we piloted a merger between the Division of Public Safety Allied-Spectaguard Walking Patrol program and the University City District (UCD) Safety Ambassador program. This merger was analyzed over the past year and was found to be very effective. Some of the benefits include:
Through the merger we were able to increase the visibility of the security officers. All of the security officers wear the distinctive yellow UCD Jackets. Now security on and off campus has an easily recognizable branding. Furthermore, we were able to extend the walking and bicycle patrol boundaries beyond the Penn Police patrol boundaries by six blocks to the west, thus covering the ever-expanding areas where faculty, staff and students live. Security Technology Working with Facilities Services we revamped the Security Technology Project Management Process. The new protocol has provided a one stop shopping approach for schools and centers desiring to add security technology to their buildings. Outreach and Safety Education In addition to providing visible police and security patrols, the DPS safety and security strategy has always included a robust Safety Education component. Over the past year our safety and security message was delivered through the following programs: Through The New Safety and Security at Penn Video With the help of the U.A. and GAPSA, as well as faculty and staff of the University, we produced the new Safety and Security at Penn video. This video is being used to illustrate to first year students and new staff proven measures that will enhance their safety. Additionally, this video was also distributed in the CD ROM format and given to every 1st year undergraduate and graduate student. The video can also be viewed on the DPS Web Site www.upenn.edu/police. Safety Presentations And Workshops: Over FY01, the Division of Public Safety's Special Services unit conducted over 91 Safety presentations, 10 Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) workshops, 118 student options counseling sessions and 110-court accompaniment. DPS Webpage is in the Process of being Revamped: A more interactive DPS webpage is currently being developed. We intend to include the web page as a tool in communicating general information about the Division of Public Safety, as well as a method of delivering critical, time-sensitive safety and security information. We consider the web to be an excellent tool for communicating with new students, faculty and staff. Community Outreach: The Division of Public Safety welcomes the involvement of the Penn Community. To that end the Division is involved with the following Penn committees and boards: Safety and Security During the 2000-2001 academic year, the University Council's Safety and Security Committee offered the DPS wise counsel in several areas. As a result, the UPPD's complaints against police process was refined. Information regarding this process is posted on the Division's web page and complaint forms are now available at all University Resource Centers. Additionally, a "business card" program was developed which provides complainants key Division of Public Safety phone numbers, the incident control number for an investigation, and the name of the officer who assisted the community member. We believe that both of these initiatives will assist us in achieving our goal of enhancing communication between the Penn Police and the Community that we serve. DPS Advisory Board The DPS Advisory Board is charged with advising me on the strategic direction of the Division and to maximize the quality of life for the University City Community. This board is a broad representation of faculty, staff and students, as well as Health System representation. The CCTV Committee This group oversees the Division's Closed Circuit T.V. policy, which regulates the installation and monitoring of the CCTV cameras located throughout campus. The University City Public Safety Directors Group I chair a monthly meeting at the UCD headquarters comprised of law enforcement officials from Philadelphia, SEPTA, Veterans Hospital, Amtrak, Police departments and the Chief of Detectives for the District Attorney's Office. Additionally, security directors from Drexel, University of the Sciences, CHOP, and HUP, as well as property managers from The Science Center, International House and city agencies such as L&I, and the Health Department are all members of this group. We meet to discuss crime, quality of life issues, special event planning, disaster management issues, and other issues pertinent to University City. In addition to meeting with internal committees and boards, the Division meets with many University City community groups: The DPS participates in weekly and monthly meetings of the Spruce Hill, and Walnut Hill Community groups, The West Philadelphia Partnership, and the Philadelphia Police Department 18th District's Advisory Board. A Penn Police officer is assigned to the Police Athletic League and is headquartered at the Wilson School in West Philadelphia. PAL offers children of our community access into athletic, culture and academic events at Penn and throughout the City. Crime Reduction As a result of the programs that I have described, as well as many more I didn't have time to discuss, we continue to see a dramatic decrease in crime. As an example:
Homeland Security Issues University Emergency Management Plan DPS, in conjunction with many University stakeholders, is developing a new University-wide Emergency Management Plan. We are utilizing the expertise of a nationally-renowned firm that specializes in emergency management issues. We are taking a multi-phase approach to this plan:
Through tabletop exercises, as well as an actual drill with the city, certify the effectiveness of the plan. As a result of the horrific events at the World Trade Center, the Division of Public Safety immediately increased our police and security coverage, provided critical safety information about suspicious packages/letters, anthrax, international travel and other key concerns for our community. I would advise anyone coming into contact with a suspicious package, letter or receiving a threatening phone message to call 511 immediately. Visit our web page for information on all of these issues. The Division of Public Safety, in conjunction with other University experts, will be hosting four, one-hour information sessions on How to Handle Suspicious Letters and Packages on October 25 & 26, at 9 a.m. and 12 noon at Annenberg's Prince Theater. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend. Almanac, Vol. 48, No. 9, October 23, 2001 |
ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS: Tuesday,
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