I was just riding my bike up Spruce St on Penn's campus on my way to work and I saw this kid getting chased by a woman cop. The kid was out too. So anyway even though I generally am not a huge fan of cops I have helped them out before. So I follow this kid up Locust walk a little bit, he ran up some steps, I go back out to Spruce tell the cop where he is headed. I then see a car that was crashed into the back of another one in front of Wawa. I guess the kid was driving/ maybe getting chased and crashed. It might have been stolen. I don't know why he ran. So I go up to 38th and head down Locust walk, I don't know why as I was late for work. But anyway I see the kid coming out of a cafeteria there. So I go up to the kid and tell him to give himself up, that the cops are all over the place which was kind of bullsh!t. Anyway the kid is like "What?" So I said 'you just crashed a car, you gotta give yourself up' and he is like "That wasn't me!" I kinda felt sorry for him, he looked really scared. But he had just wrecked his(?) car into the back of someone elses and took off. Anyway he then runs across 38th street. And I sorta follow him and almost get hit by a cop flying up 38th. So I flag him down and show him where he just ran, and he runs up and tackles the kid. I don't know if the kid stopped or not, but it always surprised me when someone gets caught in a foot race by the cops. I understand getting caught by the radio, but to be unable to outrun a fat cop wearing a vest, gun, handcuffs, and 30 lbs of other **** is just sad. Anyway never a dull moment.

I've helped cops before...they have a rough job and most (as you mentioned) couldn't catch a cold on foot. I seem to call 911 every 3-4 months for something I see...last time is was a disturbed women wandering around the middle of 95 right by Spring Garden Station. I had the luxary of showing a girl around Penn and right in the middle of my lil tour a kid comes flying out of the Bookstore with 2 employees chasing him yelling "he stole...he stole" Kid looked like a regular student...I jumped in his path to slow him down and two other random people tckled him...he still managed to get almost to the hospital befor the cops got him...needless to say the girl was a little amazed becausae she's never seen that happen or regular people attempting to detain someone.

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I got the early edition of the Sunday Inquirer this morning and there was an article, I believe in the metro/local section, or whatever it's called, about the alarming rise in the crime rate in the U of P area.

I live on the 4800 Block of Pine and my roommate called me around 5pm or so today to tell me that the police had the whole block closed down. She saw a body laying in the street. A passerby told her that someone was shot. I doubt that this is what happened because there was nothing on the news and there were no news crews. I would really like to know what went down, a shooting, a hit and run or did the guy just have a heart attack or something? Has anybody heard anything or does anyone have any suggestions on how to find out?

Thanks.

I just saw on channel 10 that a fatal shooting took place on Pine and Hanson (on the 4800 block of Pine). I haven't been able to find anything on NBC10.com yet, though.

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November 17, 2005

$400,000 Federal Grant to Help Philadelphia Universities Combat Violence Against Women on Campuses

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/...08&newsLang=en

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Hi there

I will be moving to Philly (CC) in April. I am a travel nurse and not quite sure what hospital I will be going to. HUP always has positions but I was reading this thread and wondering if it's safe to take the subway there. I would work the midnight shift (12 hours) 6:30pm- 7:30am and would be leaving in 'high' traffic times. Do you think it would be safe traveling alone at these times? Thanks alot!

Kimberly

If you use 34th St station during the hours you mention (arriving ~6:30pm, leaving ~7:30am), I think you'll be about as safe as you can be taking the subway in Philly. Most of our mini crimewave appears to be concentrated in the residential areas West of campus. Campus itself tends to have enough foot traffic and police presence that serious crimes are fairly rare, despite all the media hype about the crime wave taking place "in the UPenn area." Just make sure that you walk the most traveled route to and from the subway station (not sure what that would be. You'll have to experiment). You should probably also try the trolleys, as there's a station @ 37th & Spruce that is serviced by all trolley lines except Route 10 and will place you very near HUP. If that station has enough riders during the time you mention (which I imagine it would), it would be more convenient than the El.

HTH.

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Didn't see anything in the paper about the 4800 Pine stuff.

My take for Kim is that the particular routes and times she's describing--34th station walk to HUP and back once at 6 p.m. and once at 7:45 or 8 a.m.--is about as safe as anyplace in the city. Of course, anything's possible, but most of the incidents have been west of there and later.

The Inqy's article is at:
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...a/13212030.htm

Robbery 'uptick' perturbs Penn

By Patrick Kerkstra

Inquirer Staff Writer


A surge in violent robberies on and around the University of Pennsylvania campus this fall has spread fear among students, angered parents, and stirred bad memories of a decade ago, when University City was one of Philadelphia's most dangerous neighborhoods.

Since Oct. 1, at least 10 students have been among the victims in 16 robberies reported to Penn police. Some were at gunpoint.

Many of the crimes have followed a frighteningly similar pattern. The victims typically have been approached at night or in the early evening, usually by two or more assailants in their teens or early 20s. Frequently, they've been punched in the face or knocked to the ground before their money was demanded. One female undergraduate was pistol-whipped.

The robbers have struck most often on the western edge of the Penn police force's jurisdiction, which stretches west from 30th Street to 43d and south from Market Street to Baltimore Avenue. Several of the most recent attacks, though, have been closer to Penn's core.

Campus and Philadelphia police have made at least seven arrests, in one case catching two assailants in the act. All but one have been West Philadelphia residents, and most have been minors, including a 14-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy - although a pair of 20-year-old brothers also was apprehended. The attacks tend to subside after an arrest, only to start up again within days.

University officials say the spate of robberies reflects higher crime rates citywide. But that hasn't placated students. They are variously calling for better lighting and more police, the sacking of Penn's security chief, and the repeal of the school's ban on carrying concealed weapons.

(The article continues at some length.)

It's completely safe. I use those stations all the time during all times of day. During the times you mentioned, there's a veritable stream of people walking to and from HUP. You'll be fine.

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