Crime on N. Broad

Along N. Broad Street, sirens often wail in the air as police cars rush the scene of the latest emergency – an assault, robbery, homicide. Crime rips through North Philadelphia without vengence. Mayor Nutter’s first priority when he stepped into office was his crime reduction plan. Is it working? Are the nine “targeted” police districts really safer now?



While the Philadelphia Police report that homicides, shootings and violent crimes are down drastically in the targeted districts. The PPD reports that in the nine targeted districts, homicide has dropped 40 percent, shootings 30 percent and violent crime dropped 7.5 percent. A look at the numbers hints at different trends While in the last three years overall crime may be down, in most districts violent crime has risen in the past year. Many districts have seen increases in rapes over the years, especially from 2007-2008. Is the effect of the targeting wearing off?



Last month, the Philadelphia Police Department announced it was adding three new districts to the list of targeted ones. Two of these, Districts 23 and 24, are the districts that cover the majority of N. Broad from Girard to Erie. This is a major change for our neighborhood. Now, the entirety of our neighborhood is targeted.



On March 20, the United Bank of Philadelphia branch at Jefferson and Broad was robbed, as well as the Rite Aid across the street, in District 23. United Bank Branch Manager Jonathan Robinson mentioned in a phone conversation that the police are working to catch the robbery suspect and that he was aware of the new targeting of the district of his bank. He declined to allow a video interview inside the bank. I suspect security concerns were to blame. Will business and residents along N. Broad soon feel safer as a result of the new targeting?

A photograph of the suspect in the robbery of United Bank from security cameras,

curtosey of ABCnews.com.