Office of the Vice President

Under the leadership of the Vice President for Public Safety, the Office of the Vice President facilitates the strategic and operational mission of the Division of Public Safety.

The Office of the Vice President (VPO) executes the strategic planning and day-to-day operations of the Division of Public Safety. The team manages all media and community communication in partnership with Penn’s Office of University Communications. The VPO coordinates the collaboration of University-wide participants to produce the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Clery Report). The VPO also designs, brands, and distributes all safety and security collateral.

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Clery Act News & Events Media Requests Request for Materials/Collateral Feedback Contact the Vice President

Photo of Kathleen Shields Anderson, she has shoulder-length brown hair, oval-shaped glasses, and is wearing a blue blazer with a white shirt.

Kathleen Shields Anderson, J.D., MBA

Vice President for Public Safety

Kathleen Shields Anderson serves as Vice President for the Division of Public Safety, overseeing the strategic direction of the Division and its 182 staff members.

Read More About Kathleen Shields Anderson, J.D., MBA

Communications & PR

External Media Requests

All external media inquiries should first contact the Office of University Communications at 215-898-8721.

Request Collateral

We encourage you to be our partners in safety and help promote these many initiatives where possible. All requests for DPS printed material and collateral may contact Stacy Ritchey at 215-898-7515 or sritchey[at]publicsafety.upenn.edu.

Media Inquiries and Copy Review

All internal media inquiries and requests for DPS related information or copy review may contact Stacy Ritchey at 215-898-7515 or .

“Our confidence that the Penn campus is safe was a significant determining factor in choosing Penn over other Universities.”

P.L.

Penn Parent

September 19, 2023

Share the Road held September 19th and 20th on Locust Walk!

DPS invited all community members to become informed about their safety at our fall Share the Road outreach event, held on Locust Walk, 7am-9am and 5pm-7pm, Tuesday September 19th and Wednesday, September 20th. We enjoyed chatting with everyone who stopped…

September 11, 2023

Request for Comment – Share your comments with CALEA

DPS will be undergoing an annual reaccreditation review and we welcome your feedback! The UPPD is a fully-accredited police department, and has been since March 2001, through the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA)*, which administers a…

September 9, 2023

Showing Our Philly Pride! Go Phillies and Eagles!

DPS personnel are sharing our excitement and support for our hometown teams. We are celebrating on Fridays by wearing our Phillies and Eagles colors! Go Birds!

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