<p>I graduated May 2011. The core campus is very safe – the biggest problem is (student-on-student) theft. As you venture off campus things can be somewhat shadier, but I never feared for my safety. I felt comfortable going to [50th</a> and Baltimore](<a href=“Google Maps”>Google Maps) at night, though some of that may be because I’m male.</p>
<p>Penn knows that an unsafe campus drives away prospective students, so they take security seriously. In Penn’s [Division</a> of Public Safety](<a href=“http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/]Division”>http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/), the [University</a> of Pennsylvania Police Department](<a href=“http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/UPPD/]University”>http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/UPPD/) is the largest private police force in Pennsylvania, and the third largest of any US university nationwide. They have a network of [CCTV</a> cameras](<a href=“http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/assets/CCTVDocs/CCTVLocations04142011.pdf]CCTV”>http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/assets/CCTVDocs/CCTVLocations04142011.pdf) throughout campus and near campus. DPS provides a variety of services like shuttles and walking escorts to accompany you from and to campus. According to Security magazine, Penn [was</a> ranked #1 in Safety & Security in higher education](<a href=“http://www.publicsafety.upenn.edu/news/penn-ranked-1-in-safety-and-security-for-5th-year-in-a-row/]was”>Penn Ranked #1 In Safety & Security for 5th Year in a Row | Division of Public Safety).</p>
<p>Penn is in a city, and cities have crime. We had reports of shootings near campus maybe once or twice a year. (The ones I can recall: [March</a> 2011](<a href=“http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2011/03/bullet_shells_found_after_41st_pine_gunfire]March”>Bullet shells found after 41st, Pine gunfire | The Daily Pennsylvanian), [November 2010](<a href=“Police Name Teen Killed in UPenn Shooting – NBC10 Philadelphia”>Police Name Teen Killed in UPenn Shooting – NBC10 Philadelphia), [February</a> 2009](<a href=“http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2009/02/shots_fired_outside_philly_diner_early_this_morning]February”>Shots fired outside Philly Diner early this morning | The Daily Pennsylvanian), [November</a> 2007](<a href=“http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2007/11/penn_police_kill_suspect_in_strip_club_at_38th_and_chestnut]November”>Penn Police kill suspect in strip club at 38th and Chestnut | The Daily Pennsylvanian)). There’s also been talk of [url=<a href=“http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2010/03/flash_mob_proves_false_alarm]youth[/url”>'Flash mob' proves false alarm | The Daily Pennsylvanian]youth[/url</a>] [url=<a href=“http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2011/09/penn_police_unfazed_by_future_flash_mobs]flash[/url”>Penn Police unfazed by prospect of future flash mobs | The Daily Pennsylvanian]flash[/url</a>] mobs.</p>
<p>I think Penn does a very good job at safety, but it does depend on your risk tolerance. You are not going to get the same feel as Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr or Haverford. I thought the opportunities of an urban campus outweighed the risks.</p>