Philly launches violence prevention hotline to connect residents with resources

Philadelphians looking for violence prevention-related social services — anything from conflict intervention to receiving job and mentorship programs — can now call 211 to be connected with resources through a new city program.

The Violence Prevention Hotline, launched Monday, will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s meant to connect residents impacted by or concerned about the threat of gun violence with the city’s many organizations and offices that often feel difficult to reach.

“This is a connection tool, it’s not replacing anyone or any group,” said city Managing Director Tumar Alexander. “It’s meant to connect each and every group all across the city in real time to what citizens need.”

This is not an emergency hotline. Residents should continue to call 911 for emergencies.

The program, run by United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, is funded by the city and has a $1.4 million budget, said Alexander. The goal is to hire 11 people to work in the call center.

Calls will be answered by trained, trauma-informed resource navigators. The calls are confidential, officials said.

“When you go through things in life, such as violence, there is always a time that you do seek help. Sometimes that help seems so far away,” said Eugene “Buddha” Thomas, president of Power Circle Mentors, which works with at-risk youth in the Frankford neighborhood.

Thomas said that because young people are so tuned into their phones, they may tap into this resource more easily than asking for help in person, and it may feel more private.

“Just on a capacity level, for me dealing with so many youth that I can’t interact with all the time, I feel like this will be a middle man,” he said.

The city hopes to use trusted community members, like Thomas, to spread information about the resource so residents feel comfortable using it, said Erica Atwood, senior director of the city’s Office of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

The program launches as the city’s gun violence crisis continues. So far in 2022, 120 people have been killed, the majority by a gun, according to police statistics. That is roughly equivalent to the number of homicides at the same point last year, the deadliest year on record.

“The last two years [with the pandemic] have been a mess, in every sector and segment of our economy, and things are now beginning to get better,” Mayor Jim Kenney said. “The only thing that’s not getting better at the moment is our gun violence, and we need to get our arms around that with the full complement of everyone working together.”

Call 211 and select option No. 3.

The line operates 24/7, and is in effect now.

A wide variety of safety-related social services.

George Mosee, executive director of Philadelphia Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Network, shared an example of a parent who notices their child posting something concerning on social media, like a photo of them brandishing a gun or threatening someone. The parent could call the hotline and be connected with groups like PAAN, which could intervene in the conflict before it escalates, and provide resources to prevent retaliation.

Other reasons to call could include:

This is not an emergency hotline. Call 911 for anything emergency-related.

Calls will be answered by trained, trauma-informed professionals, the city said.

Yes, the city said.

Only with the caller’s consent. Personnel will ask the callers if their session can be recorded, and if their information can be shared with referral partners so they can reconnect with them after the call.

Groups interested in being involved with the hotline can register at the service provider registry. The city is hiring for the resource navigators. Pay starts at $15 per hour. The city said those hired will receive specialized training in areas such as trauma-informed care, mental health first aid, cultural competency, and anti-gun-violence resources.