Abington’s police chief blamed Philly for a crime. It’s the second time this month a neighboring community has done so.

Philadelphia, the urban center of a sprawling metropolitan region that spans three states, is again being blamed for another alleged crime that did not happen here.

Abington Police Chief Patrick Molloy laced into the city on Thursday, specifically targeting Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, after an Oak Lane man was charged with allegedly attempting to abduct at 14-year-old girl at the Willow Grove Park Mall the day before.

“I think some of the failed policies in Philadelphia, with the District Attorney’s Office, where it’s somewhat of a revolving door, where dangerous felons are let back onto the streets to prey upon our citizens,” Molloy said during a news conference. “This is a particularly disturbing case because these are innocent children. This shouldn’t have happened. He should’ve been detained. He should have been in jail.”

The accused abductor, Khalilh Evans, has an extensive criminal history in Philadelphia and Montgomery County. A Montgomery County judge in January ordered his parole while he was serving a sentence of 11 to 23 months.

Molloy’s comments marked the latest examples of public officials in places outside of Philadelphia blaming the city for its approach to crime.

Krasner, a progressive district attorney, easily won a second term in 2021 but has faced criticism amid a gun violence crisis. Crime remains a hot-button political issue in Philadelphia and across the country, as cities grapple with surges in gun violence over the last few years.

The Abington incident came a week after a 6-year-old girl in Camden was shot in the knee on July Fourth. A teenager from Philadelphia was questioned in that incident, prompting Camden County Commissioner Louis Cappelli Jr. to declare: “Thugs and criminals and gun-bearing freaks over in Philadelphia who live in a society of lawlessness — we don’t want you here.”

Philadelphia City Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson called out Cappelli’s comments as “derogatory” and said he should work to build “stronger interregional relationships.”

Jane Roh, a spokesperson for Krasner, said there was not much to say about Molloy’s comments in Abington last week, adding that Krasner is “used to cheap political rhetoric from others.”

Evans was out on bail on January 2022 charges filed in Philadelphia for gun and theft charges.

But Roh noted the most recent legal action that returned Evans to the street happened in Montgomery County, where a judge paroled him in a stolen-property case that originated in Lower Moreland Township in 2020.

Roh also noted that Evans has a history of being hospitalized for mental health issues, adding “maybe a look at the [mental health] system is timely, considering recent events.”

Court records show Evans’ case in Philadelphia has been delayed several times as the court ordered testing of his mental health competency. A judge found Evans competent to stand trial in an order 10 days ago, and a hearing in the case is scheduled for July 24.

Mayor Jim Kenney, in a statement to The Inquirer, said Molloy’s “oversimplification” of last week’s events runs counter to what is necessary for the region to address the problem of crime.

“I think it’s telling when anyone describes a complex and enormous issue like crime or violence as belonging to any one city,” Kenney said. “That level of oversimplification is not encouraging. Our region and our entire country are grappling with a crisis of violence and needed criminal justice reforms, and we’re only going to succeed if we’re willing to work together on a shared vision of public safety across all communities.”

Thomas Hecker, president of the Abington Township Board of Commissioners, said he had received no pushback for Molloy’s comments.

“What I think the chief did was express his assessment of the factors,” Hecker said.

Molloy, during his news conference comments last week, said he knows “there’s a lot of things that go into those decisions, in why people are back on the street. But this here is a disgrace. And we need to do a better job. The system failed.”

Lt. Steve Fink of the Abington Police Department on Monday said Molloy had not been aware when he spoke in last week’s news conference that a Montgomery County judge had paroled Evans in January.

Fink expressed concern that someone with a criminal history involving guns like Evans, along with his mental health issues, was still awaiting trial on a new gun charge.

“We just feel like he should have be adjudicated faster,” Fink said.