The Division of Public Safety comprises 178 personnel, 118 of which are sworn University of Pennsylvania Police Officers. The dedicated men and women of DPS are responsible for enhancing the quality of life, safety and security of our community. The Division accomplishes its mission through the delivery of a comprehensive and integrated safety and security program, in partnership with the community that we serve.
Campus Safety
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Campus Safety Resources
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Division of Public SafetyDPS
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Penn Violence PreventionPVP
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Penn Violence Prevention (PVP) aims to engage the Penn community in the prevention of sexual violence, relationship violence, and stalking on campus. The goal is to not only ensure students have access to safe and effective resources, but to provide preventative education focused on building healthy relationships, understanding consent, reaching out to friends in need, and being an active bystander. Members of the Penn community can visit the Penn Violence Prevention website for more information about support and reporting options, and educational programs.
Wishing you a happy holiday season and a restful and restorative winter break!
The Division of Public Safety (DPS) is committed to the safety and wellbeing of the Penn and West Philadelphia communities. Know that DPS maintains the same staffing level of Police and Security officers throughout the year including the Winter Break. If you should have any concerns or see someone exhibiting suspicious behavior, call the PennComm Emergency Communications Center at 215-573-3333.
DPS is here for you 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, call anytime.
DPS offer Special Property Checks for residents in the patrol zone during peak travel seasons such as Thanksgiving and Winter Break. Under the special checks program, DPS officers check the exterior of registered properties for signs of safety or security breaches. This free program is available to all residents in the Penn patrol zone, the area from 30th Street to 43rd Street and from Baltimore Avenue to Market Street.
An excellent resource for Penn and the local community. Uniformed Allied Universal Public Safety Officers provide free walking escorts, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Escort services also extend west to 50th Street and north/south from Spring Garden to Woodland Avenue between 10 am and 3 am via the University’s partnership with the University District Ambassador Program. Again, anyone in the community regardless of whether they have a PennCard, can use these services.
Request a Walking Escort:
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Ask any Public Safety Officer on patrol or inside a building.
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Call 215-898-WALK (9255) or 511 from any campus phone.
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Use building and blue-light emergency phones located on and off Penn’s campus.
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Also, DPS offer special Walk Backs during Reading Days and Finals at Van Pelt Library. A Public Safety Officer will be posted at the “Split Button” on Locust Walk from 10:00pm until 3:00am from December 13-December 22, 2022. Approximately every half hour, the officer will enter Van Pelt-Dietrich Library to offer walking escorts to anyone in the building. The officer will then perform the escort and return to repeat the process.
Package Theft: Avoid Package Theft – Have a Plan! Arrange to be home for delivery or have your packages delivered to a secure location.
Theft of Occupied Vehicle: Also known as carjacking, these thefts are often crimes of opportunity. Be mindful in situations including when entering and exiting your vehicle, parking (look for well-lit areas), double-parked vehicles or faked car accidents ("fender-benders").
Phone and Email Fraud: Fraud attempts persist all year long and may spike during major shopping seasons. As you filter your email and phone calls, remember that legitimate businesses and government agencies would never solicit/initiate account administration activities or ask you to provide confidential information or money via phone or e-mail. As a reminder, malicious and misleading emails, also called “phishing" emails, are the number one way that cyber-criminals begin their attacks. Even if unsure, please call us immediately at 215-573-3333 if you think you may have experienced such an encounter.
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Chinese consulate and embassy in Washington D.C. regularly updates notice about telemarketing fraud on its website in an effort to promote awareness and provide guidance. A 2022 notice can be found here (in Chinese). Follow the consulate's Wechat account to receive the latest reminder.
While it is never the fault of the victim/survivor of a crime, there are specific patterns of criminal activity that we are mindful of at all times. Consider these steps you can take to empower and protect yourself as you travel near and far:
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Awareness
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Stay alert and be aware of individuals who may be shadowing you as you travel.
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Stay off your cell phone when shopping and keep it out of view.
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Familiarize yourself with your surroundings (location, garages, parking lots, etc.)
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If you encounter someone aggressively asking for money, do not engage with them; walk away – go into a business or other safe place.
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If you feel that you are being followed, walk towards a well-lit, populated area.
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Shopping
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Limit the amount of cash you carry during your shopping.
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Carry purses close to your body and place wallets in an inside pocket.
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Take a family member or friend with you as you conduct a big shopping.
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Vehicles
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Have keys ready as you approach your vehicle.
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Place all packages out of view and secure them in the trunk.
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Lock the doors as soon as you get into your vehicle.
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Have a wonderful Winter Break, stay safe and be well!
In addition to the above resources, the Bias Incident Reporting Form is available to any member of the Penn community who has experienced discrimination, bias, or harassment of any kind. This form should not be used to report emergencies or urgent incidents.
