Dear Students and Colleagues, 

Earlier this week, I had a conversation with Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel related to the large gatherings of juveniles that recently occurred near Temple University’s campus. Commissioner Bethel and other leaders from the City of Philadelphia recognize the importance of addressing this issue swiftly and effectively, as these meetups have negatively impacted both the Temple and North Philadelphia communities. 

This will be an ongoing dialogue with Commissioner Bethel over the next several months. In particular, we will be diligent in exploring all solutions that help prevent situations like this from affecting our campus operations and disrupting and threatening our students, employees and neighbors.  

In relation to last week’s incidents, I want to thank Temple’s Department of Public Safety (TUDPS), which has already identified several individuals involved in the assaults and robbery and is working tirelessly to hold them accountable. I also want to thank our Temple police officers, the School District of Philadelphia’s school safety officers, Pennsylvania Probation and Parole, TUDPS and Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) detectives, community members, and parents for their efforts in this investigation, as their collaboration has been instrumental in moving these cases forward. 

While we will continue to work with our partners in the City of Philadelphia to explore long-term interventions related to these challenges, we are taking immediate steps to ensure our community is safe. Unfortunately, we have become aware of social media posts that are encouraging another juvenile gathering near campus this weekend. Beginning tonight, there will be an enhanced public safety presence on and around Temple’s campus throughout the weekend. TUDPS is working, in close coordination with PPD and SEPTA Transit Police, to deploy a robust, unified response team that includes police commanders, detectives, patrol officers and specialized units.  

In addition to collaborating with our partners in law enforcement, we have engaged faith-based, community and civic leaders in North Philadelphia, who share in our deep commitment to the safety and the well-being of our neighborhoods. One of our partners, Taylor Made Opportunities, will be on-site this weekend and throughout the summer months with their Corner to Connections program helping us to redirect teens to positive activities, resources and services.   

Please pay close attention to any alerts or directions from TUDPS or TUalert. These notifications are issued to increase your safety and to allow officers to effectively respond to an incident or potential threat. Please continue to report any suspicious activity to TUDPS by calling 215-204-1234 or utilizing the TUSafe app. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and continued support as we work through these complex challenges.  

Sincerely, 

John Fry 
President