<p>A friend of a friend was telling us about the "armed security" around Temple, one of the schools D is applying to. We obviously haven't visited yet, our visits will be tied in w/auditions. So I was wondering if anyone here could share more info on this. </p>
<p>Thanks!
Tami</p>
<p>Temple University is a major urban university with a campus that is spread throughout the north Broad St corridor of Philadelphia. It can take 10-15 minutes by car to drive in a straight line up Broad St from the “main” campus up through the medical school/Temple University Hospital campus. It has over 35,000 students (24000+ undergrads). In many ways, it is like a city within the city. In order to deal with the complex safety and security needs of an institution of this size in an urban setting, Temple maintains both a security force and a police force. The security force is similar to what you would find on most college campuses - unarmed security guards stationed in buildings, parking lots, etc. The police force is a state licensed police agency, like any other municipal police department, whose officers attend police academies and are state certified. They are full police officers like any other police officer and carry handguns. They patrol the campus and its immediate environs and work in conjunction with the Philadelphia police department.</p>
<p>That being said, the question of whether Temple is a “safe” school often comes up. Temple is located in a section of Philadelphia that in years past was known as an economically depressed high crime area. Over the years, this has changed significantly as Temple has expanded and the surrounding neighborhoods have been been redeveloped or have otherwise benefited from Temple’s growth. As with any school of this size located in an urban neighborhood there are various incidents of criminal activity. And there are still areas off campus that students would be better off avoiding. When you look at the crime statistics, however, there is very little violent crime and most incidents involve theft, underage drinking and possession of pot. I attended Temple Law School (located on the main campus), my wife and son attended Temple undergrad and law school and we have many friends whose sons and daughters attended Temple and lived on campus or in nearby off campus housing. None of us or them were ever the target or victim of a crime and that’s the experience of the vast bulk of students.</p>
<p>A friend of mine is a freshman theatre major at Temple and she said she always feels extremely safe on campus, but there are some part of off campus Philly she would only go to if in a group or during the day but not by herself at night.</p>
<p>Many of my kids friends go to Temple and live both on and off campus. I have never heard any of them say they felt unsafe on campus or in the areas that they lived. There are parts of the off campus areas that they do avoid and they tend not to go anywhere without a “buddy” at night. These students are coming from a suburban/rural HS and it is their first time living in an urban setting.</p>
<p>Temple does have tremendous measures in place on campus for safety. The campus is bright as day at 3 am due to all the lighting.
However, My neighbor’s son attends Temple and lives off campus and in the past 6 months his car was stolen and his row home apartment was broken into twice. Once he came home to find the thieves in the apartment and another time he woke up to find an arm coming through the bars on his window onto his bedside table trying to grab something.
He actually is still very comfortable in this environment.
Another friend of mine had a son attend Temple and he lived off campus but in a big apartment building, not a row home and he never had a problem.<br>
So there definitely can be problems at Temple but you can find safe options.</p>
<p>I have a lot of personal experience with Temple, specifically, and the area overall. My son graduated from there in 2012, his girlfriend in 2013, so I have current details to offer. All said above is true. However, the real issue becomes traveling and living off-campus. It is not safe. Period. Temple has one of the largest security/police details in the state. Campus police are available as escorts and there are shuttles for travel to off campus housing locations. There is a commitment to security - but it it far from flawless. Like anything else, the more vigilant you are, the less likely you are to run into any type of trouble or encounter a problem. You can never have a weak moment or let your guard down - not while on campus or outside of it. That’s the truth. Housing is only offered on campus for one year. Then you must move to university-monitored off-campus housing for the 2nd year. It is difficult to get a decent situation - the housing is poorly maintained overall and highly priced. The 3rd and 4th years you are on your own. Housing located privately is actually a bit better, but further from campus. If you and your child are prepared for these challenges, Temple is a great school for the price. Keep in mind, though, job placement is not a priority in most department school/colleges. That would be the second negative, in my mind. Otherwise, a great school, cutting edge in many aspects…the neighborhood is a big detraction though. They should have relocated years ago. The City did clean-up, but not to the extent anticipated. In the Temple Campus Bubble of wherever most of your classes are held, such as Tyler School of Art’s new state-of-the-art facility, the experience is awesome. It is stepping out of the bubble that is cautionary; I never felt at ease the entire time my son or his GF were there. Living there makes staying late at class or hanging out in the city or coming home late from the weekend, etc… activities you need to think about, making sure you are on not alone and well aware of your surroundings.</p>
<p>My son is a Junior MR major at Temple. He lived on campus the first two years and felt safe at all times. I have spent quite a bit of time at the campus and have always felt safe. The campus is very secure. He is off campus this year in a studio. The day we dropped him off the police arrested a car burgaler almost directly in front of his apartment. I worry about him constantly but he said he feels safe. He has become much more street savy. He loves the theatre program and the city.</p>