PHILADELPHIA – Today, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) released the following statement on the University of Pennsylvania Police Department serving a search warrant against their students for suspected vandalism in SWAT gear. Councilmember Gauthier represents Penn and the surrounding community.
“On October 18th, several University of Pennsylvania police officers dressed in SWAT gear served a search warrant on a West Philadelphia home outside of the University of Pennsylvania Police Department’s (UPPD) patrol district. The warrant was issued for suspicion of vandalism, following red paint being thrown on a statue on Penn’s campus last month.
“My office does not condone any type of crime and supports a thorough investigation of the statue’s defacement. However, I am appalled that the University served a search warrant against their students for a nonviolent incident while in full tactical gear.
“Although the warrant was acquired through proper channels, that process does not dictate how the warrant will be served. Leaders at the University of Pennsylvania decided to use violent and aggressive tactics, and I unequivocally condemn this choice.
“I understand that UPPD may have to operate outside of their patrol zone to investigate crimes that happened on their campus. However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the West Philadelphia community has a long and tense history with the University of Pennsylvania, and the operation on Friday the 18th is a direct echo of that dynamic.
“If UPPD insists on conducting operations outside of its catchment area, it must do so with the same level of accountability and transparency we expect from the Philadelphia Police Department and all of our law enforcement partners.
“If the University of Pennsylvania is serious about making West Philly a more vibrant, resilient, and safer place to live, it must not allow its private police force to behave so rashly again. I call on University leadership to investigate how this disproportionate response occurred and publish their findings.”
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