Sharp decline in homicides shows that mayor’s all-of-the-above strategy may be working | Editorial

The national conversation around criminal justice and public safety tends to focus on extreme perspectives that are far removed from the day-to-day experience of those living in dangerous neighborhoods.

Do you want to defund the police, or do you support the thin blue line? Are progressive prosecutors a breath of fresh air, or are they pied pipers for disorder? Are community programs or policing better at reducing violence?

For Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Director of Public Safety Adam Geer, and Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, however, these kinds of heated debates are a luxury they can’t rightly afford.

Faced with a city where violence surged to a record 562 homicides during the pandemic, these city leaders instead opted for a balanced approach to criminal justice, making clear they would “use every tool in the toolbox” in order to keep residents safe.

And the early signs of the effectiveness of that strategy are promising.

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In 2024, the city ended the year with 268 homicides, a reduction of 35% over last year; the number of shootings also declined by the same percentage.

That’s not to say the city still doesn’t have more to tackle with regard to crime and public safety.

After all, Philadelphia still has more shootings per year than New York City, despite having a fifth of that city’s population. Shoplifting has contributed to pharmacies permanently closing in much of the city, and while 268 homicides represent a significant decline over the recent past, it is still far too much death.

The city’s universities, employment centers, and transit agencies have all been forced to spend additional resources on public safety measures after high-profile incidents.

Still, Bethel has the police department on the right track. While they have yet to match pre-pandemic numbers, officers have taken important steps to improve traffic safety by pulling over more vehicles for moving violations and issues like missing or falsified license plates.

The police department also has upped foot and bike patrols, directed officers to check in on local businesses and transit stations, and has them log each activity, making their impact more measurable over time. And — in a climate marked by widespread concerns about the fairness of stop-and-frisk policies — searches and questioning of pedestrians have not increased under Bethel’s watch.

But policing, while necessary, cannot produce sustainable change by itself.

Fighting crime in Philadelphia will take continued attention to challenge the decades of disinvestment and decline in public safety that have led to the city’s status quo.

According to gun violence statistics compiled by former Mayor Michael Nutter, 2024 represented one of only three years with fewer than 270 homicides since the end of the Johnson administration, and the city hasn’t had fewer than 200 homicides since 1966. Without more substantive change in the neighborhoods most impacted by violence, last year’s reduction could easily fizzle.

Fortunately, Mayor Parker is not relying solely on policing to produce change. The city has also invested millions of dollars in community intervention programs. These programs have sometimes come under criticism for a lack of accountability, with some grant recipients clearly unqualified, and other deserving programs missing the cut.

Despite those examples, advocacy organizations like the Civic Coalition to Save Lives credit intervention programs — including efforts that rely entirely on private funding — for helping to spur the reduction in violence.

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The mayor’s balanced approach even extends to the city’s chief prosecutor. Larry Krasner, who is running for reelection this year, was blamed by many for the city’s rise in gun violence because his office pursued fewer prosecutions for some offenses. Now that shootings have declined, Krasner and his supporters might feel justified in asking why he shouldn’t get credit for that, as well.

While Parker hasn’t embraced the infamously cantankerous Krasner as an ally, she also has not spent much, if any, time as an adversary. Instead, she has prudently worked alongside his office as needed, settling any disputes behind closed doors and out of the public eye. In Geer, the head of public safety, Parker has even added a former Krasner assistant district attorney to her team.

That’s not to say the mayor’s team doesn’t have room for improvement. While a new focus on Kensington is welcome, so far the city has only succeeded in moving around the drug trade and its associated danger and disorder, rather than ending it.

For Kensington and other city neighborhoods that have long suffered from gun violence, let’s hope the progress continues.