The wild west of Pa.’s private security industry | Morning Newsletter
🌸 And an illustrated guide to cherry blossom szn.
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The Morning Newsletter
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Good morning, Philly. As pollen season ramps up, your allergies might be, too. But why does weather affects our bodies at all? How does that change according to the time of year? Our season-by-season guide to how the atmosphere impacts health has the answers.
Private security companies aim to keep members of the public safe from crime while they patronize stores, bars, or gas stations, stepping in when police aren’t available — in theory, at least. But sometimes, the opposite happens. Our lead story below examines why the industry is largely unregulated in Pennsylvania.
And as you’ve surely noticed during your travels around the city this week, it’s cherry blossom time here in Philadelphia. We have a gorgeous illustrated guide to help you find and identify the different flowers.
— Julie Zeglen (@juliezeglen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Private security is a booming industry in Pennsylvania — but one subject to little oversight in the state.
With unprecedented public and private spending on private security has come an alarming number of violent incidents arising from conflicts between security guards and patrons of the businesses they’re hired to protect.
In one case, an Olney ShopRite guard stabbed a patron whom he accused of shoplifting. Last week, he was sentenced to three to six years in state prison.
Part of the problem: There’s no statewide licensing or training system for unarmed guards, and only 40 hours of training for guards wielding guns — even assault-style rifles.
The rules that do exist are confusing, even to those working in the industry, and are often ignored.
“There is a lot of freelancing in Philly,” said one state-certified armed guard, who acknowledged that he has not bothered to get his own agency license because he can use a relative’s. “I don’t think they’re necessarily breaking the law — and, if there is one, it’s not being enforced.”
What could reform look like? One trade group is pushing to create a statewide licensing system, to start. Samantha Melamed and Ryan Briggs have the full story.
What you should know today
The city plans to use part of the former Hahnemann University Hospital as a shelter for people who are temporarily displaced as a result of a fire, natural disaster, or other emergency.
Philly’s Greyhound bus stop may move for the third time in less than a year after ditching its long-held Filbert Street station for temporary, unsheltered locations. The newest proposed spot would still be in Northern Liberties, where bus operations are currently based.
New Jersey’s Office of the Attorney General is creating a portal for sexual assault survivors to track their own cases. In Pennsylvania, Democratic lawmakers this year proposed a bill to implement a similar database.
Brian Eddis got his job back after his removal from the Building Trades Council last month. Eddis had previously worked closely with the council’s former business manager, John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, who has been convicted of both federal bribery and embezzlement charges tied to the electrician’s union he led for nearly three decades. Dougherty also testified in court under oath for the first time on Wednesday.
A former executive was convicted of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a nonprofit founded by Philadelphia music legend Kenny Gamble.
Independence Law Center, the religious liberty law firm that helped Central Bucks implement restrictions on library books and transgender athletes, is now working with York County schools.
A confluence of politicians and interest groups from across the ideological spectrum is pushing for legislation they say will boost housing construction in areas where people want to live.
Federal legislators want the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, located on Independence Mall, to become part of the Smithsonian Institution.
“The man lying on the floor of the train car that rainy day showed me how desensitized I — and so many other people my age — have become to the human suffering we see in Philadelphia every day.” So writes a Philly teen in this powerful op-ed.
What would Jason Kelce title his memoir? Hungry Dogs Run Faster, of course.
For just a few weeks each spring, Philly streets turn pink.
The annual emergence of the cherry blossoms signify, for many, a relief from the tyranny of winter. Now that it’s mid-March, several varieties of these cheerful trees are at or approaching peak bloom.
We have advice on what to look for and when to catch them looking their best. For instance:
🌸 What is the earliest flowering cherry? You can spot the Okame in full bloom right around now.
🌸 Where can you find them? All around the city, but if you specifically want your Instagram posts to include, say, Pendula weeping cherry trees, look for clusters of them in West Fairmount Park and along the Schuylkill.
🌸 What’s the most common variety? That would be the Yoshino cherry.
Check out the full guide from Jasen Lo and Hira Qureshi.
Plus: Some types of cherry blossoms are popping early this year, due in part to rising temperatures. Frank Kummer has that story.
🧠 Trivia time
One of the Philly area’s oldest wineries is on the market for $4.5 million. Which is it?
A) New Hope Winery
B) Penns Woods Winery
C) Chaddsford Winery
D) Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we're...
🍝 Visiting: All the South Street hotspots in this handy guide.
👀 Hoping: To spot world-class crush Mark Ruffalo in the Italian Market.
🎪 Intrigued by: The World Oddities Expo coming to the Convention Center.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
This nearly 60-year-old deli at 43rd and Locust Streets is in a legal pickle as an evicted tenant seeks to use its name at a new Center City location.
CLOD HIKES
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Robin Connell, who correctly solved Wednesday’s anagram: March 24 is National Cheesesteak Day. Here’s everything you need to know about Philadelphia’s signature sandwich.
Photo of the day
Today’s photo was actually taken 20 years ago, when Nick Peetros pushed the button to blow up Veterans Stadium.
Have a great rest of your Thursday, and thanks for reading, as always.
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