To the Temple community, 

Earlier this evening, at approximately 7 p.m., Police Officers from Temple University’s Department of Public Safety (TUDPS) were on-site as a large group of unsupervised juveniles gathered around Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue. Given past juvenile gatherings in the area and the fact that this week is spring break for many local K–12 schools, TUDPS and Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) deployed additional teams of police officers and supervisors to supplement the on-duty shift. 

While the group was initially orderly, this changed throughout the course of the evening. When some in the group became disorderly, a TUDPS supervisor contacted PPD to send additional resources to disperse the group. Unfortunately, one Temple student was assaulted near Temple Towers and another student was assaulted in the area of 12th and Montgomery Streets. At this time, their injuries are being evaluated. Additionally, a third student reported being pushed to the ground but did not require medical attention. TUDPS has been in contact with these students, and the Division of Student Affairs will continue to support them in every way possible. 

Arrests were made throughout the evening as the crowd became disorderly, however, the assailants related to the assaults have not yet been identified. TUDPS will continue to investigate these incidents to identify those responsible. Anyone with information related to these crimes is urged to contact PPD Central Detectives at 215-686-3093 or the PPD TIP Line 215-686-TIPS (8477). 

Incidents like tonight’s are unacceptable. While we had no advance warning of tonight’s gathering, TUDPS has been in regular contact with PPD regarding planned and unannounced juvenile gatherings. These gatherings typically take place on public property, but their impact negatively affects our Temple community. We will continue to work with the city and PPD to address these incidents. 

We encourage students to continuously familiarize themselves with the university’s available safety resources, like the walking escort program and Flight. More safety resources can be found at safety.temple.edu. Students can also call Temple Police any time by dialing 215-204-1234. 

Students who are impacted are encouraged to seek support through Tuttleman Counseling Services, located at 1700 N. Broad Street. For information, call 215-204-7276 or visit the Tuttleman Counseling Services website. For faculty and staff members, our employee assistance program offers support and resources 24/7 online or call 1-888-267-8126. 

We are thankful for the efforts of Temple, Philadelphia and SEPTA Police Officers, who worked together to disperse the crowd tonight and who will continue to patrol throughout the evening. 

Sincerely, 

Jennifer Griffin 
Vice President for Public Safety 

Jodi Bailey Accavallo 
Vice President for Student Affairs