Temple president falls short on promise to beef up police
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Temple University's president promised to improve safety in 2021 after the murder of a student near campus. The president pledged to beef up Temple's campus police, but that hasn't happened.
Temple's campus safety has shrunk as students continue worrying about crime.
Twenty-one-year-old Temple student Samuel Collington was shot and killed near campus in November 2021. His senseless death is still fresh on the minds of many students.
"I'm a political science student he was in my program, it was very tragic," Rafe Kuhls, a junior at Temple, said.
Days after Collington was killed, Temple University President Jason Wingard issued a letter to students, writing in part: "Over the next days and weeks, Temple University will increase our campus safety force by 50%."
Wingard reiterated his pledge at a virtual safety forum in December 2021.
"Now, community, you've heard me commit to increasing the number of our patrolling officers by 50%," Wingard said. "I'm hopeful that this forum tonight will continue our progress of finding solutions."
It's been more than a year since the promise to increase campus safety, but a CBS News Philadelphia investigation found that goal has still not been met.
Data from Temple shows in December 2021, its campus safety force had 169 officers and staff. On Thursday, it has 155.
"That, of course, is not only discouraging and disappointing, but it should be, to everyone involved, alarming," Tom Kline, Sam Collington's family attorney, said.
CBS News Philadelphia approached Wingard about the findings Thursday.
When asked about an increase in staff for campus security, Wingard tried to answer, yet decided to let Temple's Campus Safety Director Jennifer Griffin answer.
"So, this is not a Temple issue. This is an issue nationwide," Griffin said.
She says there is no timeline involving Wingard's pledge.
When asked if increasing measures by 50%, Griffin said: "I think it's a lofty goal in this environment we're working in right now."
Griffin started the job last semester, months after the pledge had been made. She says these days people would rather work from home or do other types of service jobs than be faced with the public scrutiny that now comes with wearing a badge.
"We're doing our best to continue bringing in the best people to do this job," she said.
When asked if the number of officers on staff was enough, Griffin said: "We are handling calls for service right now, we haven't seen a delay in calls for service. Is it enough to be able to do different programs and strategies? We would love to have more to continue to expand."
Temple's police union tells us without more officers, it will continue to be a big challenge trying to curb the violence near campus. Many students CBS News Philadelphia talked to agreed.
"Looking at those numbers, it is a little worrying," Kuhls said.
"I think more police officers would be beneficial just so the presence is known for the entire community," Nate Weinberg, a Temple sophomore student, said.
Temple has eight officers who are expected to graduate from the police academy next month. But, even with those recruits, campus safety still has fewer officers and staff than it did when Wingard committed to beef it up by 50%.
A Temple spokesperson also said the university increased its patrol numbers through the use of Philadelphia Police Department supplemental patrols and have tripled the number of weekly patrol hours from 96 to 288.