'I feel unsafe': Temple students march across campus to protest lack of campus safety
PHILADELPHIA - A crowd of Temple University students gathered Tuesday to criticize school leadership for an accused lack of safety on the North Philadelphia campus.
The protest comes more than a week after Temple University police Sgt. Chris Fitzgerald was shot and killed during a struggle with a suspect in the troubled 22nd district.
"What happened to Officer Fitzgerald is a direct fall out of this lack of safety and lack of resources for safety," John Mangan, Founder of the growing Instagram page ‘Keep Us Safe TU,' said.
Mangan's page strives to alert students and residents on and around Temple about violent crimes that they allege the school fails to properly distribute information about.
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"We had a home invasion, people weren't alerted about, we had robberies on campus people weren't alerted about," Mangan said. "It's alarming and Temple Alumni and students are fed up."
Meanwhile, Temple police said they are expanding and formalizing their work with the Philadelphia Police Department to keep the community safe, effective Wednesday.
In a statement given to FOX 29, Temple's Vice President for Public Safety Jennifer Griffin said the university is continuing its dialogue with student-led organizations, expanding its walking escort system and will be adding eight new police officers in March.
For now, students like Sophomore Sophie Marcotte say the school needs to be more transparent about the violence plaguing the North Philadelphia campus.
"It's ridiculous, I don't know about a home invasion down the block from me until weeks later." Marcotte said. "I love Temple, I'm just disappointed in Temple, I feel unsafe."