Division of Public Safety

Keeping a fire under control

Penn’s Division of Public Safety’s PennReady: Protecting Communities Through Resilience and Relationships Health and Safety Fair on Sept. 27 featured a controlled burn of a mock residential room, showcasing the efficacy of sprinkler and alarm systems, and the response of first responders and city firefighters.

Tina Rodia

Somber vigil

The Tuesday gathering on College Green offered the Penn community a chance to grieve, pray, and offer comfort in the wake of the deadly attacks on Israel.

Penn Today Staff

The best defense is an empowered one

To gain control over their personal safety, many women turn to R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense), a nationally recognized program that teaches realistic self-defense tactics and techniques.

Steve Graff



In the News


6ABC.com

University of Pennsylvania police officer's encounter with group of bicyclists goes viral

Jenna Ficchi of the Department of Public Safety is getting praise for connecting with a local cyclist and then helping him distribute sandwiches.

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“Good Morning America,” ABC News

Despite recent break-ins, Temple says thefts down 30% compared to last year

During the pandemic, Penn Police are patrolling the exteriors of off-campus student housing. “We are not waiting for people to register their properties. We've been doing full-blown special checks at every house, every building, every church, etc., in the Penn patrol zone," said Vice President Maureen Rush of Public Safety.

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Fox 29 (Philadelphia)

University of Pennsylvania police officer learns how to sew to make masks for health care workers, first responders

Jenna Ficci, an officer in Penn’s Police Department, has sewn more than 500 homemade masks for health care workers and first responders. “I think the real heroes are the medical workers, the nurses, the doctors,” Ficci said. “They’re the ones on the front line of this whole thing. I’m just doing what I can to help.”

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6ABC.com

Real-life 'Superman' cop helps disabled man who lost bag at Philadelphia hospital

Vice President Maureen Rush of Public Safety, praised an officer in the Penn Police Department who replaced items stolen from a hospital patient with Down syndrome. The officer prefers to remain anonymous.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Enthusiasm, hope, and ‘old guard’ warnings follow naming of Philly’s first black female police head

Vice President Maureen Rush of Public Safety commented on the appointment of Philadelphia’s new police commissioner, Danielle Outlaw. When Rush started her law enforcement career in 1976, she said, she “would never have imagined that we would have had a woman commissioner, never mind a black woman commissioner, in the future.”

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WHYY (Philadelphia)

Can hiring women police officers make communities safer?

Vice President Maureen Rush of Public Safety, one of the first 100 women to join Philadelphia’s police department, spoke about the role of women in law enforcement.

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