UPennAlert

9-1-1 Outage in PA – Continue to Call PennComm for any police, fire, or medical emergency in the Penn Patrol Zone

UPennAlert: There is a reported sporadic outage of 9-1-1 services throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

Our PennComm Emergency Communications Center is not impacted by this outage. Please continue to call 215-573-3333 for any police, fire or medical emergency within the Penn Patrol zone.

For reporting emergencies outside of our patrol zone, the Philadelphia 9-1-1 system is currently experiencing dropped calls. If you need to call 9-1-1, they are asking callers to call non-emergency lines for their local support districts if needed. Visit Phillypolice.com for a list of district phone numbers.

Also, Penn Police officers will be deployed in high-visibility locations to serve the community. If you need emergency services, please approach an officer for immediate help.

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The Division of Public Safety will continue to ensure the highest level of safety and security for our community.

Please be sure to use the Walking Escorts and Riding Escorts available to you free of charge.

Additionally, if you have not done so, please take a moment to sign up for the UPennAlert Emergency Notification System as well as the Penn Guardian System which can help Police better find your location in an emergency.

UPennAlert Registration: Visit: www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/upennalert for information on how to register.

Penn Guardian: Visit: https://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/safety-initiatives/pennguardian/ for information on the PennGuardian system.

Contact Information:

Special Services: 215/898-6600

Escort Services: Walking 215/898-WALK (9255)

Penn Transit Ride Service 215/898-RIDE (7433)

General Information: 215/898-7297

The Division of Public Safety will continue to ensure the highest level of safety and security for our community.

See something concerning? Connect with Penn Public Safety 24/7 at 215-573-3333.
Worried about a friend or colleague’s mental or physical health? Get 24/7 connection to appropriate resources at 215-898-HELP (4357).
Seeking support after experiencing a crime? Call Special Services – Support and Advocacy resources at 215-898-4481 or email an advocate at
Use the Walking Escort and Riding services available to you free of charge.
Take a moment to update your cellphone information for the UPennAlert Emergency Notification System
Download the Penn Guardian App which can help Police better find your location when you call in an emergency.
Access free self-empowerment and defense courses through Penn DPS.

Emergencies 215-573-3333 / 511 (campus phone)

General Information 215-898-7297

Special Services 215-898-4481 (215-898-6600 off-hours)

HELP Line 215-898-HELP (4357)

DPS Headquarters 4040 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Update UPennAlert Info PennGuardian Registration

Walking Escort 215-898-WALK (9255)

Penn Transit Ride 215-898-RIDE (7433)

Policing at Penn

Community-Based Policing

Over 125,000 people study, work, live, and visit within the Penn Patrol Zone on a given day. Safety and Security in an open, urban, multicultural and densely-populated university environment such as Penn requires at the core, a strong commitment to community-based policing practices. The primary responsibilities of the University of Pennsylvania Police Department are law enforcement, order maintenance and service. First and foremost in our organization’s success, is the support of the community we serve for effective crime prevention. Community feedback and input about our crime-prevention programs are critical to building a successful program. This philosophy is reinforced at every level within the UPPD, from the patrol officer to the Chief of Police.

Other components of the community policing strategy include:

Emphasizing the enforcement of public order and quality of life issues, such as public disturbances, traffic violations, defiant trespass, and retail and bicycle thefts.
Identifying, analyzing, and responding to conditions underlying various types of crime through problem-oriented and evidence-based policing.
Increasing the level of accountability and transparency of police practices through:
- community surveys;
- rigorous data collection regarding all interactions between the UPPD and its citizenry;
- accessibility of citizen complaints against police;
- feedback to the Division of Public Safety, in person, via phone, and email;
- continuous education for the Penn student, staff and faculty bodies.
Providing outreach services to those experiencing homelessness or substance dependency.
Attending community meetings throughout University City in which residents can share their concerns, fears, and questions about safety and crime. Connecting the community to resources to best support them is important to our mission.

“I want to applaud the work of [Penn Police]…The officers were patient, compassionate, and professional in their interactions…[the officers] handled the situation in ways to deescalate…and with a spirit of wanting to help.”

F.F.

Penn Community Member

Dedicated Detective Unit

The University of Pennsylvania Police Department’s Detective Unit is a full-service squad comprised of the Deputy Chief of Investigations, 2 Detective Supervisors and 12 Detectives. Services include Criminal Investigations, Offender Processing and crime scene examinations.

The UPPD Detective Bureau is proud to have clearance rates for burglaries and robberies consistently higher than the average national clearance rates for the same crimes. The Detective Unit also provides Dignitary Protection for the many important University of Pennsylvania VIP’s both local and from around the globe who visit our campus.

Law Enforcement Liaison

Public Safety is the official liaison with all law enforcement for the University. If you are approached by Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other law enforcement agents on our campus, contact the Division of Public Safety immediately at 215-573-3333. You may document any interaction, or ask them to wait for Penn Police, but do not interfere with or obstruct the agents. Let them know that you cannot grant them permission to enter University buildings or accept service of a warrant on behalf of the University.

UPPD Detectives by the Numbers.

+1000

Recovered Items

80%

Solve Rate

350

Community Commendations

Reporting a Crime

You are encouraged to make a report of a crime to the Penn Police by filling out the report a crime form. Should you wish to keep your name or the victim’s name confidential we understand, however we would appreciate it if you still reported the incident. The purpose of a confidential report is to comply with your wish to keep the matter confidential, while taking steps to ensure the future safety of yourself and others. With such information, the University can keep accurate records of the number of incidents involving students, determine where there is a pattern of crime with regard to a particular location, method or assailant, and alert the campus community to potential danger.

You may report a crime in person, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year at the DPS Headquarters: 4040 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, or by calling 215-573-3333. You may also use our online form. This form is not monitored 24//7.

Learn additional information about crime reporting on our Clery page, or reach out to Public Safety’s Office of the Vice President via email or call 215-898-7515.