Police tape

With 562 homicides, 2021 was the deadliest year in Philadelphia’s recorded history. Most of the victims were young Black men. — AP photo

Philadelphia families should feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods. But right now, city government is failing its people. With 562 homicides, 2021 was the deadliest year in Philadelphia’s recorded history. Most of the victims were young Black men. Most of the murders were committed with a gun. In total, almost 2,300 people were shot in the city last year. We need strong leadership to make our residents safer, and it starts with tackling gun violence and getting illegal guns off our streets.

Since 2019, I’ve called on Mayor Jim Kenney and his administration to implement a comprehensive anti-violence strategy that utilizes programs with proven success in other cities, like Oakland and New Orleans. These programs treat gun violence like a public health crisis and are strategically targeted to those most likely to shoot or be shot. My office’s previous analysis of the Kenney administration’s $155 million in anti-violence funding found that the resources were spread citywide, rather than targeted, and were primarily focused on longer-term initiatives that could be worthwhile but are likely to take years to reduce homicides, rather than short-term interventions that are targeted at the crux of the problem.

Rebecca Rhynhart is the Philadelphia city controller.

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