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Division of Public Safety
A series on wellness and well-being
A roundup of the six-part series from Penn Today that focuses on University resources available to students, faculty, staff, and postdocs for their mental, physical, technical, and financial health.
Keeping the Penn community safe and sound
The Division of Public Safety helps keep the University community safe through programs like the 24/7 Walking Escort Service, the UPennAlert Emergency Notification System, Penn Guardian, and the HELP Line.
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.
How to report incidents of bias, misconduct and harassment
Penn cultivates resources for students, faculty, and staff to report and address incidences of bias, misconduct, harassment, and more. Here, an overview of what to know.
Things to know: E-scooters and safety
Penn’s Gene Janda and Joe Romm and Andrew Baldwin of the Philadelphia Fire Department discuss lithium-ion battery fire risks.
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.
Something for everyone at Penn’s Friends and Family Day
This year’s event, open to Penn faculty, staff, and postdocs and their families, will include lunch, DJs, bounce houses, photo booths, and more.
Act First, a PEP winner, wants to teach Philly students critical first aid—and the confidence to follow through
Kenneth Pham and Catherine Chang, winners of the 2023 President’s Engagement Prize, will teach Philadelphia high school students CPR, Narcan administration, and blood loss prevention.
In Gary Williams, a ‘one-of-a-kind’ chief of police
Vice President of the Division of Public Safety Kathleen Shields Anderson appointed Gary Williams as chief of police in January. He discusses how he got there and how he’s kept—and keeps—the Penn community safe.
For new DPS VP, it’s all about ‘actions, not words’
Following a national search, Kathleen Shields Anderson was named vice president of Penn’s Division of Public Safety.
In the News
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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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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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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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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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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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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