The Victims of Temple University

[MikeinPhilly]

Here's the president's remarks. Fry was the president of Drexel for a short while. I'm an alumnus of Drexel and my son is currently attending the school and I 'm glad that he's out of there.

Please see the communication below shared this afternoon by President Fry:

Dear Students and Colleagues,

On both Saturday and Sunday evenings, the university sent the Temple community TUalerts about large groups of juveniles gathered on public streets and sidewalks near Temple University*s campus. While these gatherings were initially orderly, some of those present later became unruly, negatively impacting the Temple and North Philadelphia communities. I write to you today with deep concern and a firm commitment to address these troubling events, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia.

On Saturday, two Temple students were assaulted and ultimately required medical attention. A third and fourth student reported being pushed to the ground but did not require medical attention. On Sunday, one additional student was pushed to the ground and robbed but did not require medical treatment. Two other assaults were also reported that did not involve members of the Temple community. Multiple arrests were made across the two days, including seven on Sunday.

Our Division of Student Affairs has been working with the affected students to make sure they are supported and have access to the appropriate resources following these incidents. We are grateful that their injuries were not more serious, but we are fully aware of the trauma and anxiety these acts have caused. We encourage any student who needs assistance to contact our Division of Student Affairs or Tuttleman Counseling Services.

In some cases, our Department of Public Safety receives advance notice of juvenile meetups, through either social media or law enforcement intelligence. Although that was not the case this weekend, but because we knew that many local K*12 schools were on spring break, the Department of Public Safety and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) had deployed additional officers and resources to the area. Police worked diligently and effectively to disperse the crowd, preventing further injury to bystanders. We are incredibly thankful for their efforts.

Our Department of Public Safety is thoroughly investigating these incidents, along with PPD investigators, using video from university, city and SEPTA cameras. We are also using social media in an attempt to identify these individuals. We are working tirelessly to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.

Incidents like these are deeply unsettling and completely unacceptable to both the university community and our neighbors. We cannot allow this type of behavior to become normalized in the area surrounding our campus.

Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Jennifer Griffin has been in contact with several key leaders at the PPD, and I will be speaking with Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel this evening. It is imperative that we work together to identify interventions that will prevent future situations like this.

Our priority is and will continue to be the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff. You all expect and deserve a secure environment in which to live, work and learn, and we will continue to do everything we can to deliver just that. I will be sure to keep you apprised moving forward.

Sincerely,

John Fry
President

The weather is getting nice, get used to these gatherings.

[sbmania]

They've been putting out letters like that for years. Until the trash that's causing these crimes is put in jail and kept there for a while, nothing will happen. I graduated Drexel Class of 73 and that wasn't the greatest neighborhood back then, but nothing like today. And the Drexel/UP area is nowhere near as bad as North Phila.

[STBear]

They've been putting out letters like that for years. Until the trash that's causing these crimes is put in jail and kept there for a while, nothing will happen. I graduated Drexel Class of 73 and that wasn't the greatest neighborhood back then, but nothing like today. And the Drexel/UP area is nowhere near as bad as North Phila.

I graduated from Drexel in '71. Around campus wasn't bad at all. Go a couple of blocks and it wasn't so nice. Still, there wasn't packs of feral youths.

[Walleye Hunter]

I graduated from Drexel in '71. Around campus wasn't bad at all. Go a couple of blocks and it wasn't so nice. Still, there wasn't packs of feral youths.

Frank Rizzo may or may not have been mayor at that time.

[STBear]

Frank Rizzo may or may not have been mayor at that time.

He was Police commissioner until 71. Mayor in 72.

[wew3]

Looks like they are getting preemptive.


Please see the following communication shared this afternoon by President Fry:

Dear Students and Colleagues,

Earlier this week, I had a conversation with Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel related to the large gatherings of juveniles that recently occurred near Temple University’s campus. Commissioner Bethel and other leaders from the City of Philadelphia recognize the importance of addressing this issue swiftly and effectively, as these meetups have negatively impacted both the Temple and North Philadelphia communities.

This will be an ongoing dialogue with Commissioner Bethel over the next several months. In particular, we will be diligent in exploring all solutions that help prevent situations like this from affecting our campus operations and disrupting and threatening our students, employees and neighbors.

In relation to last week’s incidents, I want to thank Temple’s Department of Public Safety (TUDPS), which has already identified several individuals involved in the assaults and robbery and is working tirelessly to hold them accountable. I also want to thank our Temple police officers, the School District of Philadelphia’s school safety officers, Pennsylvania Probation and Parole, TUDPS and Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) detectives, community members, and parents for their efforts in this investigation, as their collaboration has been instrumental in moving these cases forward.

While we will continue to work with our partners in the City of Philadelphia to explore long-term interventions related to these challenges, we are taking immediate steps to ensure our community is safe. Unfortunately, we have become aware of social media posts that are encouraging another juvenile gathering near campus this weekend. Beginning tonight, there will be an enhanced public safety presence on and around Temple’s campus throughout the weekend. TUDPS is working, in close coordination with PPD and SEPTA Transit Police, to deploy a robust, unified response team that includes police commanders, detectives, patrol officers and specialized units.

In addition to collaborating with our partners in law enforcement, we have engaged faith-based, community and civic leaders in North Philadelphia, who share in our deep commitment to the safety and the well-being of our neighborhoods. One of our partners, Taylor Made Opportunities, will be on-site this weekend and throughout the summer months with their Corner to Connections program helping us to redirect teens to positive activities, resources and services.

Please pay close attention to any alerts or directions from TUDPS or TUalert. These notifications are issued to increase your safety and to allow officers to effectively respond to an incident or potential threat. Please continue to report any suspicious activity to TUDPS by calling 215-204-1234 or utilizing the TUSafe app. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and continued support as we work through these complex challenges.

Sincerely,

John Fry
President

[JAKIII]

I would never permit a child of mine to attend Temple due to the security risk, (i.e., there are 100 schools to choose from that aren't in the hood).

It's a shame, because Temple is a decent school.

[wew3]

Maybe they are starting to take the problem seriously. I didn't hear of any problems last weekend and now they will do the same this weekend.

Please see this communication sent earlier today from Jennifer Griffin, Vice President for Public Safety and Jodi Bailey Accavallo, Vice President for Student Affairs:

To the Temple Community,

We know this is an exciting time for students, as the semester is winding down and next week’s Commencement ceremonies are on the horizon. For many students, this may be the last weekend that they will spend on campus this spring.
This year, Temple students have been great representatives of the Good Neighbor Initiative, and we know that will continue to be the case this weekend. We want students to enjoy themselves and have fun, but it is important that it is done in a responsible and respectful manner. We encourage all students to keep themselves apprised of the guidelines outlined within the Good Neighbor Initiative.

Just as President Fry outlined last week, there will again be an enhanced public safety presence on and around Temple’s campus beginning tonight and through the weekend. We are taking proactive steps to ensure our students, employees and neighbors feel safe while on campus. Should an issue arise, Temple’s Department of Public Safety (TUDPS) and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) will be ready.

This enhanced public safety presence, which was in place last week and has been coordinated alongside the PPD and SEPTA Transit Police, will see the university deploying a unified response team that includes police commanders, detectives, patrol officers and specialized units. This robust team will be in place through this weekend as we work to prevent the juvenile meetups that have had a negative impact on so many members of the Temple and North Philadelphia communities.

Students, faculty and staff members are encouraged to pay close attention to the TUalert system over the weekend, as it will be used to warn Temple community members of any immediate danger. Anyone who notices suspicious activity should also report it immediately to TUDPS by calling 215-204-1234 or utilizing the TUSafe app.

Thank you to everyone for their support and cooperation, and we wish the entire Temple community well as the semester draws to a close.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Griffin
Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police

Jodi Bailey Accavallo
Vice President for Student Affairs

[Frizratz]

Maybe they are starting to take the problem seriously. I didn't hear of any problems last weekend and now they will do the same this weekend.

Please see this communication sent earlier today from Jennifer Griffin, Vice President for Public Safety and Jodi Bailey Accavallo, Vice President for Student Affairs:

To the Temple Community,

We know this is an exciting time for students, as the semester is winding down and next week’s Commencement ceremonies are on the horizon. For many students, this may be the last weekend that they will spend on campus this spring.
This year, Temple students have been great representatives of the Good Neighbor Initiative, and we know that will continue to be the case this weekend. We want students to enjoy themselves and have fun, but it is important that it is done in a responsible and respectful manner. We encourage all students to keep themselves apprised of the guidelines outlined within the Good Neighbor Initiative.

Just as President Fry outlined last week, there will again be an enhanced public safety presence on and around Temple’s campus beginning tonight and through the weekend. We are taking proactive steps to ensure our students, employees and neighbors feel safe while on campus. Should an issue arise, Temple’s Department of Public Safety (TUDPS) and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) will be ready.

This enhanced public safety presence, which was in place last week and has been coordinated alongside the PPD and SEPTA Transit Police, will see the university deploying a unified response team that includes police commanders, detectives, patrol officers and specialized units. This robust team will be in place through this weekend as we work to prevent the juvenile meetups that have had a negative impact on so many members of the Temple and North Philadelphia communities.

Students, faculty and staff members are encouraged to pay close attention to the TUalert system over the weekend, as it will be used to warn Temple community members of any immediate danger. Anyone who notices suspicious activity should also report it immediately to TUDPS by calling 215-204-1234 or utilizing the TUSafe app.

Thank you to everyone for their support and cooperation, and we wish the entire Temple community well as the semester draws to a close.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Griffin
Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police

Jodi Bailey Accavallo
Vice President for Student Affairs

That is commendable and necessary at Temple.
They are going after the result of the problem.
Who will go after the root of the problem.
As posted in Walleyes other thread, zero morality will not support this Republic.
These kids were not "raised" , they just " growed"
Instead of them beating and robbing Temple students, they should start a go fund me with $$ goals to be met by the community.
Meet the goal or pay the consequences, like the mob.
Then they can all move into new big houses near the other murderer and live together, happily ever after.

[MikeinPhilly]

That is commendable and necessary at Temple.
They are going after the result of the problem.
Who will go after the root of the problem.
As posted in Walleyes other thread, zero morality will not support this Republic.
These kids were not "raised" , they just " growed"
Instead of them beating and robbing Temple students, they should start a go fund me with $$ goals to be met by the community.
Meet the goal or pay the consequences, like the mob.
Then they can all move into new big houses near the other murderer and live together, happily ever after.

I'll take the extra security with a grain of salt. It's move out time for the college kids and graduation season for all the schools in the area that use Temple facilities that host the school ceremonies. Let's see how things go in July and August when all of this is over.