Safety & Security
We must work to ensure the safety and security of every member of the Penn community.
Immediate Actions
The Division of Public Safety will complete a review of our existing safety and security for Penn-affiliated religious life centers in and around campus
Everyone at Penn belongs here and has every right to feel physically safe and welcome. Safety is a foundational requirement for thriving and succeeding academically and personally. We have significantly increased security across campus. Penn Police and Allied Universal security are at every event, rally, protest, and vigil. Since September, Penn has strengthened security for Hillel, the Katz Center, Lubavitch House, campus spaces for Muslim worship, and the Christian Association. We will continuously assess our security support for all religious life centers and do everything possible to make sure all members of the Penn community feel safe.
Progress as of January 16, 2024:
- Penn’s Division of Public Safety (DPS) has provided new or enhanced security services to 17 locations.
- DPS officers continue to provide security support for religious events and special services.
- DPS officers perform more than 1,000 special checks per week and have at times performed more than 2,000 per week during periods of heightened concern in the Fall 2023 semester.
- Allied security personnel have provided more than 1,400 additional checks in the Fall 2023 semester.
We are reviewing the process by which groups external to Penn can reserve space and host events on campus
Progress as of January 16, 2024:
- DPS and University Life are actively engaged in this effort. We have reconstituted for the remainder of the 2023-24 academic year a Special Event Review Group to help us make thoughtful decisions about requests to schedule special events on our campus. The Special Event Review Group is charged to be particularly attuned to several key categories, including events that pose significant public safety or security challenges and/or have the potential to attract a large University or external audience.
We will make sure that all members of the Penn community are aware of the process for reporting acts of antisemitism or other acts of hate. When a report is received, Penn will take timely and appropriate action to respond to any alleged violation of Penn policies or law
Progress as of January 16, 2024:
- Penn’s Bias Incident Reporting Form is resource for the Penn community. This form has been shared in recent campus messages and will be featured in a Penn Today story in January.
- The University created this resource page to address online harassment, including doxing, cyberbullying, and trolling.
- DPS is actively investigating hate-based incidents on campus.
- DPS is partnering with the FBI and local law enforcement, including the ongoing investigation into threatening emails sent on November 6, 2023.
- Three individuals (two Penn affiliates and one non-affiliate) were arrested for their actions on or around Penn’s campus during the fall semester. In addition to criminal charges, affiliated individuals have been referred to the Center for Community Standards and Accountability for violations of the Code of Student Conduct.
- University officials are actively pursuing appropriate and timely follow-up with three registered student organizations.