Harrison Lilley – Photographer

hjl5363@psu.edu

When you think of Behrend, you probably think of our rural campus as quiet and peaceful, and a place where serious crimes do not occur. Fortunately, Behrend is a very safe campus where violent or serious crime is not the norm. Most of the crimes and issues that University Police routinely handle are relatively minor, such as underage drinking, possession of marajuana and general concerns about student wellbeing. 

However, there have unfortunately been several crimes reported that cause notable concern to the safety and wellbeing of the entire Behrend community. Since the beginning of December, there have been three assault incidents and five thefts reported to University Police. No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed in connection to the incidents. 

On December 16th, an aggravated assault was reported to have occurred in Trippe Hall at some point during the Fall 2022 semester, and a student this past month reported a Simple Assault that occurred during the early morning hours of January 15th in Trippe Hall as well. In addition, a liquor law violation is also alleged to have occurred in connection with the simple assault reported on January 15th. A third simple assault has been reported to have allegedly occurred in Trippe Hall midday on February 3rd.

Five theft related incidents have also occurred in either Trippe or Ohio Hall, and publicly accessible areas of Behrend. Two of the theft incidents involved stealing items from vehicles, with one incident reported to have occurred January 19th in the Junker Lot where a student reported the theft of their personal belongings from an unsecured privately owned vehicle. In the Jordan Road Lot, the visitor reported the theft of vehicle parts and accessories of their privately owned vehicle that occurred December 8th overnight into December 9th. A student also reported that their unsecured personal property was stolen at College Drive and Jordan Road on December 2nd.

A theft incident in Ohio Hall was reported to have occurred where a student reported the theft of their unattended personal property that happened December 13th overnight into December 14th.  Most notably and recently, an incident involving extortion was also reported to have occurred in Trippe Hall on the evening of January 29th.

With all of these incidents, the Behrend Beacon would like to remind you of some safety tips for staying safe. Which are recommended by Penn State University Police and Public Safety:

• Be aware of how to contact police and other emergency services: For immediate assistance or life-threatening emergencies, call 911. Students at Behrend should program the number for University Police (814-898-6101) into their cellular devices. Additionally, many on-campus areas have emergency phones, and every campus has emergency phone poles topped with blue lights. Students can visit map.psu.edu to find out emergency pole locations at Behrend.
• Always lock your door and/ or vehicle. Most theft incidents statically occur from unlocked vehicles or doors on campus. In addition, you should avoid leaving your personal belongings unattended on campus.
• Every student has the right to feel safe walking. If you ever feel unsafe walking alone at night, call University Police at 814-898-6101 for an escort from dusk to dawn.
• If you see something, say something!