Here's how Philadelphia police plan to keep city safe in the new year
PHILADELPHIA - Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said his department will "keep pushing" to reduce homicides and shootings in Philadelphia after violent crime dropped in 2024.
Appearing on Good Day Philadelphia, Bethel touted the success of the city's gun violence prevention team and other investigative branches within the department.
Police data shows there were 269 homicides in Philly last year, 140 fewer than in 2023. Bethel added that there was also a drop in non-fatal shootings.
"Our homicide clearance rate was almost 72% in 2024, and even more exciting is that our non-fatal with 37% clearance," Bethel said.
Despite the encouraging data, violence in Philadelphia is still a hot button issue as the new year begins. Bethel shared some insights into how police plan to further thwart violent crime in the city, including an emphasis on protecting the youth.
Police goals for 2025
- New youth diversion initiative
- Constant procedure reviews
- Use of barricades and other physical barriers
- Layed security approach
- Drones to help monitor crowds and potential threats
Teen violence prevention
A triple shooting involving 14 and 15-year-olds at Christmas Village with weeks left in 2024 brought about renewed calls to protect the city's youth.
The shooting, which investigators blamed on bullying, left a 14-year-old boy shot in the face and "fighting for his life."
As such, one of the Philadelphia Police Department's first goals of 2025 focuses on trying to direct teenagers and young people away from street violence.
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A Youth Diversion Initiative, according to the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), aims to "remove youths as early in the juvenile justice process as possible to avoid later negative outcomes associated with formal processing."
Bethel said he's seen youth diversion programs in Philadelphia succeed before. He recalled collaborating with former commissioner Charles Ramsay on a youth diversion program after he says they arrested 1,600 kids within the Philadelphia School District in 2013.
"There are community groups and advocates out there who could work with that person to try to put them on the trajectory," said Bethel, who added that a recent survey found Philadelphia cops endorsing the initiative. "We now give the officers a chance to do something different."
Betel, the former Chief of School safety in the School District of Philadelphia, said part of the city's success in protecting the youth has been in the classroom. Safe pathways for students coming to and from schools has also aided police, as has keeping a close eye on social media for possible threats.
Community engagement
"We have to stop telling the community what we want, and start asking them what they want," Bethel said.
The department hopes to further improve the relationship between police and the community in 2025 to help forge trust and safer communities.
During visits to communities all over the city, Bethel said he's found that no two Philadelphia neighborhoods are the same and many have varying concerns.
"We have to get on the ground, build a bottom-up strategy, and stop telling people what they want, asking them what they want and taking that charge," he said.