Teamwork Tactics

University of Pennsylvania excels with collaborative security program

  • By Glenn R. Rosenberg
  • Apr 21, 2008

A collaborative security system often includes an effective and flexible program. Such is the case at the University of Pennsylvania, where security applications stand as a successful model for campus security. One of the reasons for the university’s success is a plan to maintain a safe environment for more than 40,000 students, faculty and staff, and its partnership with AlliedBarton Security Services.

AlliedBarton has performed a number of security duties since 1996, which enables Penn’s Police Department to focus on law enforcement.

The Ivy League school had traditionally passive security officer assignments for campus facilities—but an expansion moved the security team to an unprecedented tactical operation of providing patrol services on- and off-campus. The security partnership created more visible security on campus, which has not only reduced crime, but resulted in an ever-changing and ever-responsive security force to the sensitive needs of on- and off-campus situations.

A Close Partnership
At its expanded urban campus in West Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania seeks to provide safe streets for residents and businesspeople. More foot patrols, bike patrols, access control officers, sentry officers and escort officers have been added during the last 10 years.

An invaluable ally for both Penn and AlliedBarton is the University City District, which was established in 1997 to improve the quality of life in the 2.2-square-mile area of West Philadelphia that touches the campuses of Penn and Drexel University. In addition to building effective partnerships to maintain a clean and safe environment and to promote, plan and advocate for community diversity, UCD became the catalyst to enhance open dialogue among groups that had a history of never dealing with each another.

Good security involves planning, and AlliedBarton chose open interaction with UCD, especially in the deployment of its officers and UCD ambassadors where patrols overlap and to provide mutual support. The high visibility of security officers on patrol or at their posts gives the public a sense of security. For the bad guys, it means they’re apt to be caught if they do something wrong.

Since partnering with AlliedBarton, Penn’s crime rate has consistently declined. Through its crime mapping system, the university can identify crime trends and adjust police and security deployment plans and procedures as needed. The flexibility of the Division of Public Safety and its close working relationship with AlliedBarton officials, UCD and the Philadelphia Police Department allows immediate and strategic changes to cope with crime increases.

Meeting Obstacles
There have been challenges, but the flexibility built into the security partnership was successfully demonstrated in 2005 related to an increase in robberies on the fringes of the campus.

Addressing the issue, AlliedBarton maximized deployment and visibility. Working with Penn’s top law enforcement officials, the company’s leadership group made changes to meet the goals.

Results came as consultation between AlliedBarton and Maureen Rush, the vice president for public safety, backed a $5 million pledge from Penn President Amy Gutmann to fight crime around campus. Company officials reconfigured patrol sectors from circular beats to intersecting straight-line patrols. This increased the visibility of security officers to the public, and it created a coordinated, grid-like web of crime prevention.

This also created new fixed posts at designated campus locations where security officers were assigned for a highly visible presence from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. These lighthouse posts serve as a safe haven for anyone needing immediate assistance. Officers also changed their uniforms to a highly visible neon yellow, while bike officers were equipped with blinking lights to enhance visibility.

“You have our word that we are addressing the issue of crime as aggressively and strategically as possible,” Gutmann said. “Our entire team at Penn will work tirelessly and do everything within our power, including working effectively with our many partners, to enhance the personal safety of all of our community members. With our entire community working together, we will prevail.”

Visible Results
And the university did prevail as it added visibility and expanded patrols, helping reduce crime in 2006. That pattern has continued ever since. The new crime-incidents map shows that the campus and surrounding area is an island of relative safety. Compared to 2005, the 2006 figures showed a 22 percent decrease in robberies in the Penn patrol zone.

“Everything Penn is doing to make Penn a safe place helps the city as well,” said Lawrence Sherman, a Penn criminology professor.

Penn is expanding eastward, meaning that the partnership with AlliedBarton will take on even greater significance. Company officials will add major responsibilities with the larger patrol area. Thankfully, the experience factor already is in place, but the techniques and procedures are always changing to meet challenging security situations.

Featured

  • Security Industry Association Announces the 2026 Security Megatrends

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has identified and forecasted the 2026 Security Megatrends, which form the basis of SIA’s signature annual Security Megatrends report defining the top 10 factors influencing both near- and long-term change in the global security industry. Read Now

  • The Future of Access Control: Cloud-Based Solutions for Safer Workplaces

    Access controls have revolutionized the way we protect our people, assets and operations. Gone are the days of cumbersome keychains and the security liabilities they introduced, but it’s a mistake to think that their evolution has reached its peak. Read Now

  • A Look at AI

    Large language models (LLMs) have taken the world by storm. Within months of OpenAI launching its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, it amassed more than 100 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Read Now

  • First, Do No Harm: Responsibly Applying Artificial Intelligence

    It was 2022 when early LLMs (Large Language Models) brought the term “AI” into mainstream public consciousness and since then, we’ve seen security corporations and integrators attempt to develop their solutions and sales pitches around the biggest tech boom of the 21st century. However, not all “artificial intelligence” is equally suitable for security applications, and it’s essential for end users to remain vigilant in understanding how their solutions are utilizing AI. Read Now

  • Improve Incident Response With Intelligent Cloud Video Surveillance

    Video surveillance is a vital part of business security, helping institutions protect against everyday threats for increased employee, customer, and student safety. However, many outdated surveillance solutions lack the ability to offer immediate insights into critical incidents. This slows down investigations and limits how effectively teams can respond to situations, creating greater risks for the organization. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”