Mount Airy residents pack community meeting to address incidents involving flashmobs

MOUNT AIRY - A Philadelphia community is fed up with kids and teens they say are running wild and causing problems.

"Is there a way to shut it down when the first 50 kids get there? Before it gets to 500?" said City Councilmember Anthony Phillips to police during a meeting Wednesday night in Mount Airy. It was held in response to what officials call an organized flashmob of young people.

It happened at the stadium Germantown Supersite the weekend of October 6th. There was another one at Finley Rec Center last spring.

"I really feel bad about that. I did not even know about some of them," said Cecelia Scott. She is encouraged by Wednesday night’s meeting. "I like the ideas about holding parents accountable. So many of them, where do you think your kids are at nine or 10 o'clock at night? Out there doing foolishness," she said.

Councilmember Anthony Phillips organized the meeting following the Supersite flashmob.

"Neighbors were literally going crazy. They were wondering if anyone was going to respond to their needs," said Councilman Phillips. He included the School District of Philadelphia’s Chief of School Safety, Kevin Bethel, Parks and Rec officials and police to help answer questions and talk strategies.

"Here in the Mount Airy community people are residential homeowners and what they want is tranquility and peace," said the councilmember, who adds that improvements are already in the works with the school district to tighten up things at the Germantown Supersite.

"They're not allowing bags, tickets have to be purchased at the school, they can't be purchased at the facility. They’re also making sure there's a limit on how many people can go into the site and increasing police presence," he said.

William Henighan is concerned about young people.

"They do these things because they don't have a lot of resources. I want the resources to be improved and more available to them," he said.

Residents talked community service and mentorships instead of criminal action, recognizing that not all kids have a structured home.

"We try to keep an eye out for them. It is one thing to dismiss them but another thing to give them that love and encouragement. That village environment and say we can help you," said Henighan.