Town hall held at Temple University as crime rises
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It happened again. Another Temple University student was attacked near the main campus Sunday night.
It happened after a town hall was already scheduled with students and university officials over crime in the North Philadelphia area.
Temple's president and the school's safety director joined student government in a show of unity at Temple's Performing Arts Center on Monday evening.
Three versus one. Security video shows suspects surrounding a Temple University student before one suspect throws a punch and another tosses a piece of cement at them. The student eventually gets away with minor bruising.
It happened at 18th and Norris Streets near Temple's main campus Sunday night, alarming students nearby.
"Anyone can just be approached by a group of people and harassed and beaten and have cement thrown at them," John Mangan, a senior at Temple said. "It's getting unbelievable."
A Temple University spokesperson says the incident happened outside of Temple's safety patrol zone. But, it's the latest in a wave of violent crime in North Philadelphia.
CBS Philadelphia showed you surveillance video late last year after police investigated a possible connection between three separate home invasions officers said appeared to target Temple students.
One person was arrested, but now CBS Philadelphia learned at least four student victims have either left Temple University or are planning to leave at the end of the semester.
"Temple should be accountable for their students," Barbie Brown said.
Brown, a parent, said she's also pulling her son out of Temple University next semester after security video shows the sophomore student's car getting stolen in December, which also happened near campus.
"Temple is a great school as far as education purposes, however, everything that surrounds Temple is a parent's worse nightmare," Brown said.
Temple's police union says to see a real change, campus safety needs more boots on the ground to patrol the area. CBS Philadelphia learned the meeting included Temple police officers, but Temple University Police Association President Alec Schaffer said he wasn't allowed to attend the meeting.
"Unfortunately, the university is not giving us the resources we need to actually curb the violence," Schaffer said.
Temple's vice president for public safety didn't respond to CBS Philadelphia's request for an interview for this story.
The Temple Student Government president organized the town hall to find crime solutions.
"It needs to be a citywide effort," Gianni Quattrocchi, the TSG president, said. "It can't just be Temple University because TU cannot alone fix the state of public safety in Philadelphia."
TSG will hold another town hall on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
In a release, the university said they have made several safety improvements for the 2023 spring semester, including adding more cameras, lighting and a safety website for improved communication with students.
