Public Safety

When she took office in January 2024, one of Mayor Cherrelle Parker's first executive actions dealt with aggressively combating crime in Philadelphia. "We will declare a Public Safety Emergency and expeditiously get every available resource into neighborhoods struggling from the scourges of crime, gun violence, drugs, and addiction," she said in her inaugural address. Since then, crime rates across the U.S. have largely retreated back to pre-pandemic levels, but it remains one of Parker's key focus areas. Here's how she's trying to address it.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA downtown skyline from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge (2018)

Mayor's public safety efforts include focus on increased police presence and substance abuse treatment

When she took office, Mayor Parker pledged to:

Increase police officers on streets, with focus on community policing
Declare a public safety emergency to address neighborhoods hit hard by crime, gun violence and drugs--including Kensington
Address crimes against property and quality-of-life offenses, such as car theft, shoplifting and illegal ATVs

In her first city budget proposal, Mayor Parker allocated funds for:

Hiring 400 police officers
Starting a citywide wellness ecosystem that supports long-term care, treatment, and housing.

Key offices and efforts

Created Kensington wellness court
Signed executive order to permanently shut down all open-air drug markets in Philadelphia
Increased Kensington police staffing by 195% in first year

Key quotes

"We must rebuild trust between police and the communities they serve. Our officers must be guardians, not warriors." (inaugural address, Jan 2024)
“My One Philly Budget supports deploying more officers in the field — walking the beat, riding a bike, getting to know the people they are sworn to protect and serve — the core of our community policing model,” (budget proposal, Mar 2024)

Links

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