State College Borough, Penn State, Apartment Owners
Agree To 9-Part Plan To Prevent Future Riots

State College Borough officials, University administrators, and the owners of apartment buildings on Beaver Avenue today announced a series of 9 measures that they have agreed to undertake cooperatively to help prevent any future riots in the East Beaver Avenue area of State College. The implementation of these steps will begin as quickly as possible.

"While there is no unanimity on any one given provision, we all agree that major steps need to be taken to prevent this from happening again," said Peter Marshall, State College Borough manager. "And we've agreed on a series of steps that will be implemented cooperatively, and which we think will help solve the problem."

Following a series of planning meetings, the University, the Borough and the apartment owners have agreed to take the following actions:

* A new lighting plan will be developed to illuminate the East Beaver Avenue balconies and to better light the entire area.

* Apartment owners will aggressively monitor the use of balconies, with any violations of local ordinances resulting in the balcony doors being sealed to prevent further use by the residents during the period of the lease.

* Subject to Borough Council Review, security cameras may be installed to monitor public spaces in the area. Private security cameras will be installed to monitor balconies. No internal apartment spaces will be monitored.

* The Borough, where applicable, will begin enforcing loitering laws in the area of the previous riots, to help keep large crowds from gathering.

* Penn State will initiate broader communications to students regarding the University's zero tolerance policy for riots and will enhance its educational programs about laws and policies that relate to such disturbances.

* Penn State will modify its Student Code of Conduct to more aggressively address student crime and behavior issues in the Borough. This will be effective Fall 2001.

* There will be stepped up police presence (including State Troopers and State Police mounted horse patrols) during potentially troublesome weekends.

* A greater presence of Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board agents will be requested to prevent illegal alcohol consumption at large student gatherings beginning this fall.

* Penn State's student government leaders have pledged to work cooperatively with the Borough and the University to promote through student government and student-sponsored extra-curricular programming the concepts of civility, citizenship, social responsibility, and improved town/gown relationships.

"The apartment owners are committed to doing all that we can to prevent future disturbances," said George V. Woskob, President of GN Associates. "Our concern is for the safety of our residents, and we think the steps agreed to today will help ensure a safer community for everyone."

Penn State president Graham Spanier praised the cooperation that had gone into the plan announced today. "This is a great example of the community and the University working together to arrive at a solution. The kind of behavior that we've witnessed at these riots is unacceptable, and I think we have a series of steps in place now that involve all the interested parties and should make it much less likely that we will see a repeat of the troubles along Beaver Avenue."

Penn State's new undergraduate student government president Justin Zartman pledged that student leaders would play a more active role in heading off future problems. Said Zartman: "Student leaders need to speak up on this issue and make sure that the whole student body understands the negative consequences of this sort of behavior. We don't want people to think of Penn State in a negative way, but rather as one of the great universities in America."

Stephen J. MacCarthy
Executive Director of University Relations
The Pennsylvania State University
309 Old Main
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 863-1028 fax: (814) 865-1762
e-mail: maccarthy@psu.edu
http://www.psu.edu/ur/news.html

Christy Rambeau
Manager of the News Bureau
Penn State Public Information
312 Old Main
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-7517; 814 863-3428 fax
mailto:cmr7@psu.edu
http://www.psu.edu/ur/news.html