Kensington could see surprise quality-of-life cleanups every month — with zero notice, ID checks, and towed cars

“Something happened.”

“Did a cop get shot?”

“Must’ve been a shooting.”

So went the stoop chatter among Kensington neighbors when droves of police officers swarmed part of the neighborhood Wednesday morning, sealing off the area to cars and pedestrians.

The reality was less traumatic — but no less disorienting.

Police shut down more than a dozen blocks around the East Somerset Street corridor to tackle quality-of-life issues. Deputy Commissioner Pedro Rosario said police towed 35 unregistered vehicles, two stolen cars were taken into custody, and three dirt bikes were seized, while city workers cleaned out nine vacant lots.

The sweep was the second of its kind in Kensington this summer — and once again came unannounced, causing some confusion, even as residents applauded the results. Rosario said these surprise offensives would continue monthly in different areas, without warning as part of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s battle to reclaim the drug-ravaged neighborhood, a mission that has been cheered by residents, but also criticized for its poor communication and at times confounding execution.

Wednesday’s daylong effort drew complaints about the lack of advanced notice, the displacement of unsheltered people, police checking residents’ IDs, and in one unusual exchange, an officer who received a shoeshine from a man on the street. Some residents have also been ensnared by the cleanups and had their cars towed without notice.

When residents inquired about the multiblock shutdown — which spanned roughly from Kensington to Frankford Avenues, and Lehigh Avenue to Orleans Street — some officers gave vague responses.

“We’re just cleaning up the street,” one said, as he wrapped black-and-yellow crime scene tape from utility poles.

“I don’t know,” another officer told another resident. “I just work here.”

One interaction that morning drew a shocked response: Video obtained by The Inquirer shows a SEPTA Transit Police sergeant receiving a shoeshine from a shirtless man who appeared to be homeless next to Somerset Station, while other officers stood and watched.

SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said the sergeant did not solicit the service. He was attempting to pay the man to leave the area, according to Busch, and the man insisted on providing the buff.

“They were trying to get the guy to move on,” Busch said. “He gave him a couple dollars, and the guy proceeded to briefly shine his shoes. The optics might not look good, but at the same time, you can’t kind of plan for every interaction.”

Rosalind “Roz” Pichardo, a Kensington resident who runs a drop-in center next to the Somerset El stop, said she approached the sergeant to criticize him for what she viewed as a degrading exchange.

“It sends a message that you’re treating people as less than,” Pichardo said. “You can’t have it both ways — where one minute you’re dragging people off in handcuffs, and in another breath, you’re having people shine your shoes on city time.”

With streets and sidewalks cordoned off, police asked some residents to show ID to come and go from their neighborhood, or provide home addresses to walk the dog or go to the corner store.

Rosario said police permitted residents’ vehicles, delivery trucks, and medical professionals into the cleanup zone. The ID checks were necessary to limit overcrowding and provide working room for various city agencies.

“I challenged someone that was coming in underneath the tape, and all they did was flash me their driver’s license that said they lived in the area, and that was fine,” Rosario said. “The neighbors really didn’t complain. They were happy. They were thumbs-upping me a lot.”

An Inquirer reporter witnessed several interactions in which pedestrians argued with officers while they were trying to clear the perimeter. Rosario defended the unannounced nature of the sweeps, arguing police need the element of surprise as many vehicles and vacant lots are used as stash vessels by those involved with the drug trade.

One firearm was recovered Wednesday, Rosario said. The Department of Licenses and Inspections issued stop-work orders to four corner stores. No narcotics were found and no arrests were made related to the cleanup effort, according to the deputy commissioner.

But some Kensington residents have also been ensnared by the surprise cleanups.

During the June 13 police initiative near Kensington and Allegheny Avenues, Annie Bowman said police towed her husband’s Ford Taurus over a registration that lapsed four years ago. Bowman said the family has been struggling financially. Her daughter had been hospitalized since a hit-and-run in March, she’d recently lost her job, and she and her husband had little left over each month after paying their bills.

Still, if she had advance notice, Bowman said she would have updated the registration. The family got the car back later that night after a block captain complained to officials.

“Cleaning is good,” she said, “but don’t take people’s stuff.”

The cleanup also displaced large crowds of people experiencing homelessness, who inadvertently ended up at a park where a summer kids program was underway, hosted by the nonprofit Impact Services. About 25 children were playing in McPherson Square when people flooded the park along Kensington Avenue, causing a scramble among staff.

“Somehow, and I’ve heard four different stories about who sent them there, many of the unsheltered folks came up to McPherson,” Impact CEO Casey O’Donnell said. “There was 100 people where there had usually been less than a dozen.”

Bill McKinney, executive director of New Kensington Community Development Corporation, criticized the lack of advance notice. Had his nonprofit known, it could have helped quell unease, given residents time to rearrange their schedules, and aided with the displacement of the unsheltered population.

“We were given zero prior notice about the day’s actions,” McKinney said. “We are sorry we couldn’t do more, but are limited when things are done to the community rather than with the community.

Police brass have cautioned that there is “no playbook” for Parker’s unprecedented attempt to dismantle Kensington’s drug market. Throughout the bumpy ride, Rosario said officers on patrol — including the 75 new cadets detailed to foot beats last month — have been asked to be better messengers on the ground.

New patrols were issued city cell phones to establish one-on-one contact with residents.

“With the extra foot beats in the area, I’m just trying to keep a level of normalcy,” Rosario said, “and trying to stabilize.”

On Friday morning, ribbons of yellow police tape left over from the cleanup still hung from some utility poles along Somerset.

Staff writer Ellie Rushing contributed to this article.