UPennAlert

Robbery with Weapon

Penn and Philadelphia Police responded to a report of a robbery with weapon in the 3000 block of Market Street. Upon arrival, Police discovered that the suspect pulled over his vehicle and asked to use the complainant’s phone, then he pointed a gun at the complainant, demanding additional personal property. When the complainant attempted to retrieve his phone, the suspect sped away, dragging the complainant for several feet and causing injury.
The suspect is described as a Black male with a thin build and a beard. He was last seen heading west in a gold Jeep Grand Cherokee.

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UPDATE: All clear in the 3000 block of Market Street. Police have responded to the incident and the area has been deemed safe. You may resume activity in the area.

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UPennAlert: Robbery with weapon in the 3000 block of Market Street. Increased police activity in the area. Police on scene, use caution, avoid the immediate area.

The suspect is described as Black male, thin build with a beard, armed with a hand gun driving a gold Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Last seen heading westbound on Market from 30th Street.

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The Division of Public Safety has developed a few helpful risk reduction strategies outlined below. Know that it is never the fault of the person impacted (victim/survivor) by crime.

  • Stay out of immediate area.
  • Stay alert and reduce distractions; using cellphones, ear buds, etc. may limit your awareness.
  • Orient yourself to your surroundings. (Identify your location, nearby exits, etc.)
  • Utilize 24/7/365 Walking Escort services (215-898-WALK/9255).
  • Only carry necessary documents.
  • Keep your valuables out of sight.
  • Be respectful of those involved in the incident.
  • If you believe you see the described suspect, do not engage – call 215-573-3333.

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

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
Walking Escort 215-898-WALK (9255)
Penn Transit Ride 215-898-RIDE (7433)

PennComm Emergency Communications Center

The PennComm team provide emergency communications and response between all members of the Penn and University City communities and police, fire and medical emergency responders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Contact

Call PennComm 24/7/365: 215-573-3333

Matthew D. Corcoran

Director of PennComm Emergency Communications Center

Matthew Corcoran joined the Division of Public Safety in August, 2012. Matt serves as the Director of the PennComm Emergency Communications Center, overseeing the day to day operations of the Division’s Emergency Communication Center, a 24/7/365 operation.

PennComm & Emergency Communications by the Numbers.

+145
Pan-tilt-zoom Cameras
+1200
Fixed Cameras
+106k
Calls for service processed annually

PennComm Operations Center.

PennComm is the heart of Public Safety. Our highly trained dispatchers provide critical communications for a vast array of situations and conditions. The team provides emergency communications and response between all members of the Penn and University City communities and police, fire and medical emergency responders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

AR-1 & Philadelphia Fire Department

PennComm dispatchers directly connect to our partners in the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD) for response from our on-campus AR-1 (LINK) unit and PFD medics and firefighters in medical, fire, and other emergency situations.

Virtual Patrol

PennComm operators, like the police officers assigned to various sectors for active walking, bike, and vehicle patrol, are trained to view the Penn Patrol Zone using the CCTV cameras through virtual patrol on a 24/7 basis for the purposes of crime prevention and abatement.

Calls for Service and City Integration

Over 106,000 calls for service are processed directly by the PennComm Center annually, including calls for Walking Escort services. The dispatching center utilizes a state-of-the-art Computer Aided Dispatching (CAD) System to record all requests for service from the Penn Community, and is responsible for monitoring all alarms throughout campus, including burglar alarms, duress alarms and fire alarm systems. The Dispatchers can also see the City of Philadelphia’s 911 calls and respond quickly to any calls within the Penn Patrol Zone.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV).

The process of designing and maintaining a system of Closed Circuit Television Cameras within the Penn Patrol Zone for the purposes of crime prevention and crime abatement was developed through a collaborative process between the Division of Public Safety, the University of Pennsylvania and West Philadelphia community leaders and residents.

An eight-person CCTV Monitoring Panel, comprising Penn faculty, students and staff, was established in 1999 before any cameras were installed in order to ensure compliance with the CCTV policy by the Division of Public Safety. This panel continues (with rotating membership) to coordinate and approve the locations for all installations of CCTV cameras in public spaces on and off campus.

Currently there are over 145 pan-tilt-zoom CCTV cameras and over 1200 hundred fixed cameras on Penn’s campus and the city’s streets – all feeding back to the PennComm Center. Our CCTV cameras are proactively used by our dispatchers to deter crime, identify safety hazards, and support our personnel when responding to an incident. These cameras assist DPS in enhancing the quality of life for the Penn and University City community through virtual CCTV patrols.

Quote Section

“The person who took my emergency call did an amazing job to take care of my problem, in all respects (efficiency, speed of light, smart, kindness, humanity and attention to all details to take care of all my concerns). I cannot thank her enough, as well as DPS and UPenn for having such outstanding professionals taking care of all of us.”
G.M., Penn Parent