October 17, 2022

Dear Students and Colleagues,

Over the last week, many of you have written to us to express growing concern around campus safety and security. We share your concerns. As incidents of gun violence have risen steadily throughout the City of Philadelphia over the past year, we have been applying more resources and measures toward keeping our community safe.

We have added more dispatchers, more security officers and sworn officers to the Drexel Police force. We have stepped up our own foot and bicycle street patrols, added more security cameras, and have worked with SEPTA, the Philadelphia Police Department, and our partners at Penn to coordinate increased patrols in areas affected by increased crime. We also have increased patrols in areas where evening classes are held and are working to enhance lighting on and around campus.

At the same time, we continue to strongly advise you to take proper precautions by downloading the Drexel Guardian app, which directly connects you to the Drexel Public Safety Communications Center in the event of an emergency, and by not hesitating to call 215-895-2222 for a walking escort.

We also want to take a moment to explain our DrexelAlert system, which enables fast and efficient dissemination of critical information to members of the Drexel University community. As soon as Drexel Police are notified of an incident that presents an active threat to the Drexel community, an alert is sent to students, faculty and professional staff. If an incident does not constitute an active threat, a Public Safety Advisory may be issued to provide the community with relevant information. It is paramount for you to keep your contact information in the DrexelOne portal up to date so you can continue to receive these important notifications.

We are committed and prepared to take all additional necessary measures in order to keep everyone safe and restore a sense of safety throughout our campus and neighborhood. We will continue to provide timely information and public safety updates.

Sincerely,

John Fry
President

Helen Bowman
Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Operating Officer

Robert Lis
Interim Vice President of Public Safety