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Days after another shooting near campus, Temple University announced a series of measures to enhance student safety—including giving $2,500 grants to neighborhood landlords to upgrade security. They can use the funding to install lighting or cameras, according to an announcement by the university Wednesday.
While a recent survey found that most students—81 percent—feel safe living on campus, that number drops to 56 percent for those in private housing. Parents have even hired local security to patrol neighborhoods near Temple where many students live, following the death of student Samuel Collington, who was shot near campus in an attempted robbery in November.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that as many as 10,000 students may live near campus.
Other efforts to increase safety include relocating willing students to residence halls or assisting students “in finding options to live in a private complex near campus well within the university’s patrol borders,” according to the statement.
Temple also said it was making progress hiring additional campus police, noting that several applicants were undergoing background checks, while 113 were “awaiting review for police academy training.” In total, 10 new officers or trainees have joined Temple’s police department since January.
Furthermore, Temple reported that it has entered discussions to establish a neighborhood watch program, which will include “public safety ambassadors” patrolling areas near campus.
These new efforts are paired with previously announced initiatives such as an audit of campus safety services scheduled to begin this month; a recently launched Task Force on Violence Reduction comprised of faculty, staff, students, parents and community members; and the introduction of the RAVE Temple Guardian personal safety app, which allows students to contact campus police and offers virtual safe walks, among other features.
