Ken Kaiser: Latest News

PHILADELPHIA - The head of Temple University's police union says the department's morale is at "an all-time low" due to staffing issues that have left officer feeling burned out. The union says it has 63 active officers on the street when it should have closer to 100. The shortage comes at a time when the North Philadelphia community that includes and surrounds Temple University is embattled by gun violence. The union took to Twitter last weekend to call out Temple President Jason Wingard for his lack of help in developing a safety plan that includes adequate staffing.

PHILADELPHIA - Temple University’s faculty-union will meet Friday to consider a no-confidence vote on President Jason Wingard and two other administrators. This would mark the first time the union has held a no-confidence vote of a president in its 50-year history.Faculty will also consider no-confidence votes on Provost Gregory N. Mandel and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ken Kaiser. The meeting comes as graduate students are on strike over pay and as the school continues to struggle with violent crime near campus following the death of Temple University Police Sgt.

PHILADELPHIA - The question of safety in and around Temple University's campus has been a large one that has loomed over the university, especially within the last two years. Now, a new appointee hopes to bring safety and order to the campus. Concerns about safety has been at the top of people's minds after gun violence has hit near campus several times within the past year.

NORTH PHILADELPHIA - The conversation around safety, on and off campus at Temple, continued Thursday, as the university gave an update on new safety measures.Safety has been on the minds of students, their families and university staff after several off-campus shootings near the North Philadelphia campus this school year. Officials are trying to address concerns with a first of its kind campus safety briefing,"The safety of our community includes students, employees, faculty, staff and our neighbors here, in North Philadelphia, is hands-down our number one priority," Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ken Kaiser stated.Just Tuesday, a 21-year-old man was shot more than eight times on North 9th Street, just off Temple’s campus.Kaiser is the COO at Temple. He acknowledges the university has faced challenges in the past six to seven months, but they are addressing those issues, beginning with a new program to add to the already existing 1,000 plus cameras on campus he says are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week."We’ve started a grant program with landlords in our patrol area where we are reimbursing $2,500 for lighting improvements and camera improvements and new cameras," Kaiser explained.Temple freshman Ally Ryder commends what Temple is doing.

PHILADELPHIA - Temple University's director of public safety resigned Thursday amid a surge of violence near campus and a staffing shortage on the university's police force.Director Charles Leone will officially step down on Apr. 29 after spending more than 40 years at Temple, the school said. The resignation comes days after Temple's police union reported that it's facing a staffing crisis that has impacted campus safety.

PHILADELPHIA - Days after Temple's police union reported that it's facing a staffing crisis that has impacted campus safety, university officials announced a number of safety enhancements in response to a spate of recent shootings. "For Temple’s part, we are considering all options to protect the safety of our students, faculty, staff and neighbors in North Philadelphia," Temple University Chief Operating Officer Ken Kaiser said. "We have to be willing to continually think outside the box, and that is what we have done here with this grant program."In a statement posted to Temple's website, the university said the Temple Police Department will increase patrols.