The study recommends that the Department of Public Safety pursue a phased, multiyear staffing plan that will incrementally increase the number of sworn police officers at the university.

When Temple University President John Fry first took office, he identified public safety as one of his top priorities, noting “it is imperative that the Department of Public Safety is resourced for success.” One of the most important steps in that process is now complete as an independent staffing study of the department was recently finalized. 

The comprehensive study, which was completed by nationally recognized safety consultancy Healy+ and COSECURE, found that while the department is presently able to provide essential public safety and emergency response needs, its current staffing level does not allow it to reach the highest levels of service. As a result, the department’s ability to take part in certain types of proactive police work is limited, and there is also limited ability to further expand its already significant community engagement initiatives. 

“This staffing study is an important component in our future planning as we work to ensure that we are fully equipped to serve the Temple community,” Fry said. “As we set our sights higher and look ahead to our new strategic plan and campus development plan, we need to be thinking about the evolving needs in this area, and this study positions us with a roadmap of where we need to be. We intend to use it as a compass to ensure that the Department of Public Safety is staffed optimally both now and moving forward, so that it can continue to capably serve students, faculty, staff and neighbors alike.” 

Increasing police staffing is also key for the university as it pursues its place-based strategy, which will be aimed at helping to spur economic growth along the North Broad Street corridor. However, incentivizing businesses and community partners to make investments along the corridor requires a robust public safety approach. 

Completing a staffing study for the department was among the three recommendations remaining from the safety audit that was conducted by former commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department Charles Ramsey and his firm, 21CP Solutions. The audit, which was completed in April 2023, provided an in-depth assessment of the university’s policies, technologies and training procedures on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods. With the staffing study now complete, all of the key audit recommendations have been implemented or are in process, and the department is committed to full completion in the coming year. 

“Over the last several years, we have used the 21CP report as our guide to implement several key changes across the department, and we have made really strong progress,” said Jennifer Griffin, vice president for public safety and chief of police. “This staffing study is the next step to ensuring that we continue to move in the right direction. I am deeply appreciative to all our police officers, detectives, security officers, dispatchers, supervisors, staff and administrators who candidly took part in this process, as I truly believe it will help position us as one of the highest-performing university police departments in the country. I also am grateful to President Fry for his continued support in prioritizing public safety.” 

As part of its methodology, Healy+ has developed a proprietary tiered framework that it uses to assess the capacity and effectiveness of law enforcement agencies. Temple’s Department of Public Safety sits below the middle tier of the framework, meaning it is presently staffed to meet the essential public safety and emergency response needs for our community. However, additional personnel would allow the department to more effectively organize and coordinate its activities to increase training, implement additional proactive services and further enhance its strong community engagement initiatives.  

Temple presently employs 77 sworn police officers, which includes 50 patrol police officers. At the recommendation of Healy+, the university plans to pursue a phased, multiyear staffing plan aimed at increasing the number of sworn officers while also enhancing training, operations and alternative response capabilities.  

The immediate focus will be to add 29 patrol officers, one detective, six sergeants and one lieutenant over the next five years or sooner. This will bring the department to the second tier of the consultant’s framework and would allow it to support more comprehensive public safety services. Once that milestone is reached, the university will conduct a thorough reevaluation of its capacity and needs and will develop a path forward.

As an immediate next step, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel has pledged to provide six bike patrol officers and a sergeant from the Philadelphia Police Department to partner and be fully embedded with Temple’s ranks beginning on Jan. 5, 2026. It is the latest demonstration of the ongoing partnership between the two law enforcement agencies.  

“We know that a stronger Temple and a stronger Philadelphia go hand in hand,” Bethel said. “We are happy to partner with Temple and its Department of Public Safety in this way, and we applaud President Fry and Chief Griffin for their ongoing commitment to Temple and North Philadelphia.” 

While Temple’s Department of Public Safety has been authorized to hire additional officers, the nationwide shortage and universal challenges to recruitment and retention have been significant obstacles to progress. 

“In a profession as demanding as law enforcement, we need to ensure that our officers’ mental health and well-being is prioritized at the highest level,” Fry said. “Our plan is to look closely at what we are doing in the areas of recruitment and retention over the next several months and see what improvements can be made. This is an area where we have already placed a great deal of emphasis, but we will need to be more intentional and aggressive to achieve our goals.” 

Some of the steps that the university has already taken in this area since the release of the 21CP report in 2023 include: increasing police officer salaries, enhancing benefits, introducing signing and retention bonuses, launching an incentivized lateral recruitment program, and implementing increased contributions to retirement accounts. The Department of Public Safety also created a new position of associate director of organization administration (HR), which is devoted entirely to recruitment, hiring, retention, and professional development and promotion strategies. 

At the same time, the department has worked to prioritize the well-being of its police officers and employees. 

“In recent years, we have focused much of our efforts on officer wellness, one example being the introduction of 12-hour shifts, which leads to officers having more time off. But I know there is more we must do, and I am grateful for the support of university leadership and President Fry, who are committed to continuing to invest in the recruitment and retention of our officers,” Griffin added. “This is a demanding profession, and our charge is continuing to make sure that our officers are supported mentally, physically and emotionally, so they can do their very best each day.” 

Moving forward, the university will reengage Ramsey and 21CP Solutions as they work to implement the phased, multiyear staffing plan. 

“The completion of this staffing study demonstrates the continued commitment of President Fry and the university to focusing on public safety for the campus community and the surrounding neighborhoods," Ramsey said. "Good work is already being done by the dedicated personnel and leadership in the Department of Public Safety, and this study provides them with a framework for how they can further elevate their operations." 

The staffing study has also been applauded by Andrew Lanetti, president of the Temple University Police Association, the labor union that represents the police officers, dispatchers and some security officers employed by the university. 

"We are committed to Temple and the North Philadelphia community, and we believe in President Fry and his mission and the goals that he has for this university,” Lanetti said. “We look forward to working with President Fry, Chief Griffin and the university to better our community and help hire and retain high-quality officers. This is ultimately going to help everyone, especially our community.” 

Overall, this study is the next step to ensuring the department continues to set an example as a high-quality university law enforcement agency. Over the past few years, the foundation has been set as dozens of operational, training and technological enhancements have been made based on the recommendations of the 21CP report. 

For example, the department launched Park and Walks in October 2023 to increase foot patrols within the Temple community, adding approximately 130 additional hours of foot patrols each month. Several hundred security cameras are now replaced every year through a new annual upgrade process, the communications center was upgraded to state-of-the-art-technology and police officers’ schedules have moved to a 12-hour shift model, which has given them more time off, allowing them to prioritize their physical and mental well-being. 

It all affirms one of the other key takeaways noted by Healy+ in its report. The department continues to be deeply committed to the important work of serving and protecting the Temple community. 

“Temple University’s Department of Public Safety continues to perform its critical mission with professionalism, efficiency and commitment,” said Steven Healy, chief executive officer of Healy+. “Current staffing levels are sufficient to sustain essential safety and emergency response operations, but this study provides the department with a blueprint that will help ensure that public safety continues to be prioritized at the highest level.”