This message below was forwarded to Powelton Village residents recently (one of whom sent it to me). It is from Drexel's Executive Director of Public Safety. The description sounds very similar to a thread I read in the Fairmount section of this blog. Wonder if it is the same group? Obviously the more everyone knows, the better.

Crime Alert:
DREXEL UNIVERSITY PUBLIC SAFETY ALERT
April 25, 2005

Robberies

The Drexel University Department of Public Safety has received several reports of armed robberies occurring in the area immediately surrounding our campus. Over the last week, we have experienced four robberies, three of which are similar in nature involving juveniles.
The Drexel University Department of Public Safety has received reports of incidents, specifically in the areas of 25th and 36th between Lancaster and Baring Street. The most alarming aspect of the incidents is that they are happening during the afternoon and hours.
In light of these recent developments, the Department of Public Safety has increased patrols on campus, and encourages everyone to pay attention to their surroundings, use the Drexel Shuttle Service, use public transportation, travel in groups, and use extreme caution when traveling around and outside of the campus boundaries.
Contact the Drexel Dispatch Center immediately at (215) 895-2222, or the Philadelphia Police Department at 911 to report any incidents or suspicious activity.


DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPROACH OR DETAIN ANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS.

__________________
JAE

I assume 25th is a typo and he meant 35th.

__________________
JAE

What is this, friggin Baghdad?

Does sound a bit like what's been going on over on the side of the river.

It's getting to feel a little bit like Baghdad, yes.

Yes, as with everywhere in the city these days there appears to be an increase in crime this year.

Coincidentally, one of the 4 incidents involved me. Ironically, I was on my way to a Powelton Village Civic Association meeting when the incident occurred. I was "mugged" by two youngsters (aged 12 and 13) on 35th St just north of Lancaster. Nothing was taken and I was not harmed, but I reported it nonetheless and the kids were caught. They used a toy gun to threaten me. Now they are in big trouble, to say the least. I will have to testify in court as to what happened.

Its not a warzone out there. Just use caution and judgement. If people hide in their homes in fear, than these incidents will be more likely to occur. But if people show their faces, go for walks, talk to their neighbors and become involved, then muggings and robberies will become less frequent.

The kids who tried to mug me live in Mantua, so its unlikely that they are the same group...however the detective did believe these kids had done this before.

Jae, welcome to Powelton Village. Its a beautiful neighborhood and one where I'm sure you'll feel at home. Feel free to PM with any questions!

__________________
- George -

http://www.barackobama.com

Drexel has a Director of PUBLIC Safety? Does that strike anyone else as odd? Are they to protect the public from Drexel students and/or facilty? Students and/or facilty from the public? Or is it some purely generous position to protect the public in general? If so, I could often use some help walking across Frankford Ave at Robbins; those reckless left turn drivers are going to get me eventually.

Although these incidents are appearantly and sadly real, it had reminded me of those old urban legend scams that went around by fax and photocopy back in the day before email about not flashing your headlights to warn on-coming drivers their headlights were off because it was gang initiation and they would kill you. They were always from someone called Director of Safety.

__________________
"Things are starting to get interesting right about now"

Scoats - publician, writer, artist.

All comments made by me on his board are given freely and probably worth what you paid for them.

I lived at 33rd and Spring Garden for years and I was threatened MUCH more by the frat boys on 34th street than by anyone from Mantua. My brother and I were full-on attacked by a pack of Sigma Pi idiots drunk out of their minds. When we complained to the school about it, the school implied that we started something with THEM.

If Drexel does have a "director of public safety", I doubt they give a damn about anyone except their own students.

Director of Public Safety is a very common job title for all kinds of large institutions. There is nothing strange or weird about it. His job description, I would gess, is porbably both to administer programs geared at the safety of students living off campus and to mitigate conflicts between students and the neighborhood.

Re: the second part - i ahve heard that urban legend before about the cars with no headlights and always thought it was an interesting urban legend. It might be an interesting topic for The Lounge to try and figure you where that urban legend originates from. It appears to be indigenous to Philly because I have never heard of it from any place esle in the country.

seand,

I've heard that urban legend in Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, and other places.

I think it originated in California, most likely LA.

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I went to the territory to renew my supply of stories.

Elbow Room
----James Alan McPherson

Here's the Urban Legend

I love snopes.