Mayor Cherelle Parker targets Kensington clean up after declaring public safety emergency in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA - The Parker administration has declared a public safety emergency and targets Kensington for clean up, but the challenges are great, as a tour of the community clearly shows.
The streets of Kensington four days into the New Year remain a place of open drug abuse, where tents shield against the cold and the addicted writhe in agony.
Nicole Mancini said she sells her body to live.
"I use PCP everyday of my life it’s my medication," she said. "It’s the number one open drug market."
It’s also the place the Parker administration says it wants to clean up.
Mayor Cherelle Parker declares public safety emergency in Philadelphia, signs 3 executive orders on 1st day
In her first day as Mayor of Philadelphia, Cherelle Parker signs three executive orders to tackle city issues including one declaring a public safety emergency.
A bold promise made by the Mayor’s new Police Commissioner on Tuesday.
"Here in Kensington the reality is stark, painful needles litter our path. Let it be clear, this ends today," said Kevin Bethel.
However, clearing Kensington of its homeless and the near free-flow of illegal drugs seems a massive task in a tour of its streets Thursday.
Roz Pichardo, the leader of a Kensington anti-drug group, says services and housing are key. She said, "I’ve traveled the world and I’ve never seen anything like Kensington. I hope this administration keeps to its promises and includes us at the table."
While sidewalks are clogged with the struggling, McPherson Park, known for its crowds of drug users, is nearly clear as a team of police tossed debris into a trash truck today.
Homeless for seven years here, a woman who said her name is Norvella, clings to hope.
"Of course it can be fixed. Get these people in programs if they want to go and housing," she said.