Temple's police union says it's facing a staffing shortage that's impacting campus safety
Temple's police union says it's facing a staffing shortage that's impacting campus safety
The union says it's operating at 60% of its typical workforce and each officer has worked about 42 overtime shifts since last July. On Monday, the union said on its Facebook page that it "cannot perform adequate community policing techniques that we have done in the past to reduce crime in the community."
PHILADELPHIA - Temple University's police union claims it's facing a staffing crisis that is greatly impacting campus safety as gun violence continues to rage in North Philadelphia.
The union says it's operating at 60% of its typical workforce and each officer has worked about 42 overtime shifts since last July.
On Monday, the union said on its Facebook page that it "cannot perform adequate community policing techniques that we have done in the past to reduce crime in the community."
This comes as the Philadelphia Police Department shared new information about a recent shooting on Temple's during which investigators believe a 15-year-old gunman opened fire on a car full of teenage girls.
15-year-old linked to March shootings in North Philadelphia that injured 3 teens, police say
Authorities say a 15-year-old boy is facing charges in three different shootings this month, including a shooting last Friday that left two teen girls injured and another that critically wounded a 14-year-old.
Police Captain John Walker told reporters that the girl's car turned onto the 1500 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue just before 10 p.m. last Friday when one of the passengers became involved in a conversation with a teen standing on the sidewalk.
As one of the boys approached the car to get the girl's phone number, Walker said a group of 7-8 others approached the car. Initial police information said some group members reached into the car and tried to prevent the girls from rolling up the car windows.
One of the girls used pepper spray to clear the group that had surrounded the car, according to investigators. As the car pulled away, police said someone in the crowd allegedly opened fire.
A 16-year-old was hit in the back and a 17-year-old was hit in the leg, police said. Both were taken to Temple University Hospital and placed in stable condition, according to police.
Officers canvased the area immediately after the shooting and spotted the 15-year-old suspect hiding behind a car at 20th and Montgomery streets.
15-year-old linked to March shootings in North Philadelphia that injured 3 teens, police say
Authorities say a 15-year-old is facing attempted murder charges and other offenses in a trio of March shootings that left three teens injured. Police said a 14-year-old accomplice is also facing weapons charges.
From a helicopter, Walker said police spotted the suspect hand a gun to a 14-year-old boy who then ran to his grandmother's house where he stashed the gun inside a kitchen cabinet. Officers recovered a .9mm handgun from the house with live rounds that matched those found at the scene.
The teenage suspect was arrested and is facing four counts of attempted murder, according to police. Walker said the teen is also facing attempted murder charges in the revenge shooting of a 14-year-old.
The teenage suspect and a 14-year-old accomplice were also hit with weapons charges after they pair allegedly fired at a North Philadelphia home when a friend's mother forbid him from hanging out with them.
"It is horrifying to all of us to see this," Walker said during a Monday afternoon press conference. "Parents of some of these kids say its just neighborhood stuff, but neighborhood stuff rising to these kids shooting which is obviously concerning to us."
MORE LOCAL HEADLINES
- Man, 43, shot to death Monday night in North Philadelphia, police say
- 15-year-old linked to March shootings in North Philadelphia that injured 3 teens, police say
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