Campus utilizes homeland security drill to practice
emergency procedures
DRILL:
Photo courtesy of STEVEN HEVNER
Law enforcement officials prepare on campus at the Educational
Activities Building for the drill exercises at Harrisburg Interna
tional Airport.
Crime statistics report released, do not necessarily reflect safety on campus
BY JENNA DENOYELLES
STAFF WRITER
JHDSO3S@PSU.EDU
In September, Penn State
Harrisburg released its annual
crime statistics report in
compliance with the federal
Clery Act. The Policies, Safety
& U report includes statistics
concerning on-campus and
surrounding neighborhood
crimes.
The report is broken down
into part one offenses which are
felonies and part two offenses
which are misdemeanors. Last
year, there were 18 incidents of
theft making it the most serious
part one offense reported. Theft
has increased in the previous two
years. In 2005 and 2006 there
were only 14 actual offenses for
each year, and no arrests were
made for any of the thefts over
the past three years.
The second most serious part
one offense reported last year
with the highest increase was
burglary. According to the
report, there were five accounts
of forcible entry and four arrests
were made. Burglary has gone
up compared to 2005 and 2006
where zero incidents occurred.
There were also no arrests
made for the nine accounts of
vandalism, which was the most
serious part two offense reported
last year. Vandalism has tripled
in the last three years, and was
also the highest increase overall
of part two crimes. In 2005 there
were three actual offenses with no
arrest and no offenses occurred in
2006.
The Number of liquor
law violations went down
substantially compare to the
previous two years. Last year,
there were no offenses. In 2005,
there were 10 offenses with 10
arrests and in 2006 there were 12
offenses and 12 arrests.
Last year there were 27 part one
offenses and 38 part two offenses.
The PSH Police Services makes
effort to try to prevent crime.
Chief of Police, Kevin J. Stoehr
said, "Crime is basically desire
and opportunity. You have those
two things. If someone has the
desire to commit a crime it's
hard to stop that. We can stop
the opportunities for crime to
occur."
The PSH Police Services lists
ways to prevent crime on its
Web site. Also emphasized is
high visibility on its part. The
Police Services try to engage
with faculty, students, and staff.
Stoehr said, "People see police,
they see police cars driving,
MnrW , TWIR9
Continued from page 1
Nearby, Homeland Security and
the South Central Pennsylvania
Task Force were holding full
scale exercises complete with
actors in active shooter, hostage,
explosives, weapons of mass
destruction and terrorism
scenarios, according to Chief
Kevin Stoehr of Police Services.
Though PSH was not included
in the Homeland Security drills,
campus leaders and departments
believed it provided a great
opportunity to test their emergency
response procedures and crisis
communications, Stoehr said.
Hevner explained that the
campus had tests before, but the
practice drills were the campus's
first "intensive self-test."
Crisis communications tested
during the two days included e
mail alerts, the PSUTXT system
and broadcast voicemail messages
sent to campus offices, said
Stoehr. A problem discovered in
the communications test was that
officers walking around that can
affect whether they're going to
commit a crime or not."
Some students question the
presence and "high visibility" of
the PSH Police Department.
Andrew Lehmann, 19, who is
from Philadelphia and currently
lives on campus, concluded that
security on campus is a complete
myth. He does not believe in it,
but he does feel safe. Lehmann
said, "I feel safe but I feel safe
because of myself not because
the policies. Basically if you give
the impression that you can get
something stolen from you then
you should in turn get something
stolen from you. So handle
yourself or things can happen."
Communications major, Gunnar
Wray, 26, who lives off campus
in Harrisburg, has not been
too concerned with security on
campus. He does not have any
classes this semester where he is
worried about walking to his car
at 10 p.m. at night. So far he has
seen police give speeding tickets
to students, and one officer buy a
cup of coffee. Otherwise, he has
not seen an "everyday presence"
of Police Services. For Wray,
"Security hasn't really been a
concern of mine as of yet. I guess
it's kind of ignorant because
something really really bad could
Oct. 22 2008
the test messages sent through the
PSUTXT system were too long,
he said. Two more text messages
later, a complete practice drill
alert was successfully sent.
No other problems were
discovered in the communications
test, Stoehr reported.
On Friday, Oct. 17, Police
Services officers and Physical
Plant employees stopped vehicles
and pedestrians at all four
entrances to the campus, checking
IDs and informing students and
faculty of the practice drills.
Stoehr, who considered the drill
successful, estimated about 1,100
vehicles were stopped during the
campus practice drill between
9:40 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Members of PSH's Critical
Incident Response Team also
discussed emergency procedures
including closings and evacuation,
said Stoehr. The campus is
planning to install a public
announcement system throughout
campus, and numbering the doors
of the Olmsted building in the
happen."
Andrea Harvey, 19, Secondary
Education English Major, from
Middletown does not see campus
security often either, but she
thinks that might be a good thing.
She said, "They kinda let things
be. They don't get in your way. I
think they're doing a good job."
Associate Professor of Criminal
Justice, James M. Ruiz, Ph.D.
also thinks Police Services is
doing a good job. He said, "I
seem to think the campus police
do a good job. They're somewhat
invisible while being visible at
the same time."
Programs are also provided
by the PSH Police Services to
help keep students safe and aide
in being proactive in the effort
to prevent crime. A shuttle is
available for students to take
them Village of Pineford in
Middletown and Willow Gardens
in Highspire so they do not have
to walk home. Police Services
also offers an escort service for
students on campus late at night.
Using the escort service is only
a phone call to Police Services.
Offers are there to escort students
event law enforcement officials
unfamiliar with the campus are
responding, he added.
The first two days of three
day drill involving Homeland
Security and the South Central
Pennsylvania Task Force took
place at Three Mile Island
and Harrisburg International
Airport, said Stoehr. According
to Lt. William Gelgot of Police
Services, approximately 300
law enforcement officials from
local counties, state and federal
departments were involved.
Specialized teams included a
bomb squad, hazmat and SERT
and SWAT teams, Gelgot added.
PSH's Educational Activities
Building was the staging area for
the drill at HIA, said Stoehr.
"In today's world, if there was
a true incident, we would want
to notify the community before a
person finds out through someone
else," said Stoehr. "The drill was
important because it shows the
campus, 'Hey, we're trying to do
something.'"
to wherever they need to go.
Statistics only report so much
about crime. There is room for
error. Not all crimes committed
are reported, the crimes that are
reported may not be reported
accurately and only the most
serious crime is reported. Stoehr
pointed out that statistics can be
manipulated and under reported.
It is possible that Universities
can report a more serious offense
like a burglary as a part one
crime, which is a felony as a
Stolen Property incident which
is a part two crime, which is
only a misdemeanor. In result,
a university may report no
felonies, when in actuality, there
were felonies, but it was reported
as a misdemeanor instead. Stoehr
made it clear that Penn State
Harrisburg reports the crime
statistics as it is.
Ruiz said, "When you look at
the overall statistics nationally
there's more crime that occurs
than what is reported. To say
that is happening on this campus,
with any seriousness that appears
to be a concern to the students, I
would say no."