Digging into the top issues of Mayor Cherelle Parker’s first 100 days, from Kensington to public safety

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker spent much of her first 100 days in office building her administration, making public appearances, and responding to the unexpected, from high-profile shootings to a middle-of-the-day earthquake.

She says her administration has also made progress on fulfilling her campaign promises related to public safety and quality-of-life issues since she took office in January, despite her initial policy plans being largely about creating more plans.

We took a look at five issues that defined the campaign for mayor and have been core to Parker’s first weeks in office.

The issue: Crime and public safety defined the race for Philadelphia’s 100th mayor, and out of all the candidates who sought the Democratic nomination, Parker took some of the toughest stances on crime. She vowed to end a sense of “lawlessness” and, perhaps most controversially, embraced the police strategy known as stop-and-frisk.

Since Parker took office in January, she’s been notably focused on safety. Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel was the first major hire she announced, and his selection was widely praised. Public safety has factored heavily into every major speech she has delivered. And she has been front and center following major crime events, including during one especially violent week in March, when 11 children were shot at bus stops while on their way to or from school.

What Parker and her administration have said and done:

What’s to come: So far, much of the change on public safety has been rhetorical. Parker’s tone is more law enforcement-focused than that of her predecessor, and Parker hasn’t explicitly directed police to engage in higher rates of stop-and-frisk — she’s said only that pedestrian stops are a “tool in the toolbox.”

We should know more soon on her administration’s specific plans. Bethel and Managing Director Adam Thiel are required under her executive order to submit their much-anticipated public safety plan this week.

The issue: During the Democratic primary campaign last year, Parker didn’t talk all that much about Kensington and the constellation of social issues that have converged to make it one of the city’s most challenged neighborhoods and an international spectacle. She did speak frequently about public safety in general, and said often that she would not support establishing supervised drug consumption sites, where people can use drugs under the supervision of medical professionals and be revived if they overdose.

But she started to speak more specifically about the neighborhood ahead of the general election and then once she took office. During a television interview in October, she suggested she’d seek assistance from the National Guard. And in her first week in office, she directed Bethel to develop a plan to “permanently shut down open-air drug markets, including in Kensington” — a promise she had not previously made so explicitly.

What Parker and her administration have said and done:

What’s to come: As with the broader public safety plan, we’re still waiting to see a more comprehensive plan for Kensington that lays out strategies to treat people in addiction and crack down on the drug trade. Change could come soon: in February, Bethel said stronger enforcement of drug crimes in Kensington could begin as early as this spring.

We also expect City Council to negotiate over the triage center proposal and other plans for Kensington as part of its annual budget process. That means things could change come June, when the city budget must be approved.

The issue: Parker spoke often while campaigning about her desire to end the city’s unwanted “Filthadelphia” moniker, saying she is particularly interested in cleaning commercial corridors as a way to encourage small business growth. She also said often that she saw cleanliness as a matter of public safety, saying in a 2022 plan that ”simply cleaning up a commercial area makes it feel safer.”

What Parker and her administration have said and done:

What’s to come: Parker’s spending proposals will be negotiated with Council over the next two months and could change.

The issue: On the campaign trail, Parker promised to create 30,000 new units of affordable housing as mayor. In her budget address to Council in March, she doubled down, and said, “I want you to hold me to it.”

What Parker and her administration have said and done:

What’s to come: To reach her goal of creating 30,000 new affordable housing units in her first term, Parker will likely have to increase funding for existing programs or secure state or federal money.

The issue: The Parker era is likely to result in a significant change in City Hall’s approach to education policy. In his two terms, Kenney was in lock step with the teachers union, and he appointed school board members who were skeptical of charter school expansion. Parker has repeatedly said she won’t pit charters against traditional public schools.

What Parker and her administration have said and done:

What’s to come: In the short term, Council will hold a hearing and vote on Parker’s school board picks, and lawmakers will consider her property tax proposal during budget negotiations this spring. In the long run, all eyes will be on how the school board evolves during Parker’s administration and whether charter schools will see a resurgence.