How sad is this.

[Philagoofy]

Our daily newspaper has a box in the local news section every day with a countdown of the city homicide rate. Entitled "A City's Deadly Toll", today's listing is 394 since 1/1/06. It shows what the rate was this time last year (369) & gives a link to view a map of where they took place here in Philly.

We were averaging about 1 a day earlier this year, but it looks like it's picked up. So sad so much violence & a little weird the way it looks, like a countdown calendar but not to a happy new year.

Fortunately for visitors to our city, the murders usually take place in neighborhoods outside of the regular tourist parts & probably involve drugs more often than not, although innocent people have been victims.

 

[mytwotinks]

How sad is that? ........ VERY!!!!!!!!

My sister moved to Iowa from the Kansas City area where I live. She made the comment last week while the news was on that she doesn't hear about murders on the news at her new home. I never really thought about that. How sad that we just get so used to hearing the bad news. I very rarely watch our local news. It is just domestic murder, drug murder, child abuse, etc...........

 

[meloneyb21]

I know what you mean.....Not much happens where I live as opposed to North Philly, it's just crazy down there, but things DO happen. DH has family in North Philly and I get nervous everytime he goes. So many of these murders are just senseless. I love this city, it'll always be in my heart, but we're planning to move out of here. Not far though. I'm right next to Cheltenham and we wanna do that or Abington.

 

[Marie17]

I agree - but I truly think every city needs to publish a countdown of this sort on their paper. It would wake up some people!

Just this morning before my hubby was getting ready for work we were taking about this. I heard the daily figure on the radio of how many troops had been killed in Iraq and I mentioned to him ... I wonder how many Americans have died in America at the hands of other Americans. I hear all the time about the troops number but not civilians here. It seems to me that our troops statistically may be more safe in Iraq than here and for what its worth I think the troops are doing a great job in Iraq but cannot get the right press on what is being done over their that is good. We rarely hear anything positively about our military over there - they are some great people doing a tough job but a needed job and most love their job.

 

[Philadisney]

It seems like no area is completely safe here anymore. I live in Center City West, and we had a string of attacks recently where a man robbed women at gunpoint and then sexually assaulted them. Even though I live on one of the busier streets in the city, I won't walk home late at night alone now. They haven't caught this guy and it's been going on since Thanksgiving. Earlier this year there was a woman a few blocks from me who had a stranger follow her into her apartment building, rob her, rape her, and leave her tied up in her apartment. I love Philadelphia, but it's a big city, and can be a scary place.

 

[goofygirl]

The violence is spreading up to the Far Northeast of Philly where I live, too.

Mayor Street does not seem to care, though.

 

[Philagoofy]

The violence is spreading up to the Far Northeast of Philly where I live, too.

Mayor Street does not seem to care, though.

You mean his "safe streets" program isn't working?

Can't wait till he's out, what has he done for this city? Maybe his street is safe but the rest of the city is going down the tubes. I drive to work everyday & the streets in center city are the pits and that's literal. What a rickety, rough ride. You'd think with all the building going on, they'd resurface the streets. I know it'd be inconvenient but it would be worth it in the long run. I'll stop ranting now.

 

[Philagoofy]

One other thing, did you hear the moron who wants to close 6 lanes of the blvd? Yeah, that will really fix the problem. The other day an Inquirer article by a AAA rep had some good suggestions for that dangerous road. But since they made sense, the City will probably not take heed.

Ok, done my rant again.

 

[Philadisney]

You mean his "safe streets" program isn't working?

Can't wait till he's out, what has he done for this city? Maybe his street is safe but the rest of the city is going down the tubes. I drive to work everyday & the streets in center city are the pits and that's literal. What a rickety, rough ride. You'd think with all the building going on, they'd resurface the streets. I know it'd be inconvenient but it would be worth it in the long run. I'll stop ranting now.

Some nights I hear them working outside my window digging up the streets and laying down new pavement (try sleeping through that, ugh). They just put a light layer of pavement over the potholes and within a couple weeks they're back again.

 

[meloneyb21]

Isn't it funny how Mayor Street always comes out the cracks when somebody wants to bring money into the city (i.e. the new Foxwoods and Sugarhouse casinos), but when we're trying to get the guns off the street and we're up to a new homicide rate, you hardly ever see him?

And I honestly think they need to get rid of the police commissioner. I don't see where he's doing anything to help alleviate the violence in this city.....

What pisses me off the most though, is all these people on the news screaming about how the violence needs to end, but yet nobody steps up and SPEAKS up against something that they knew or even SAW happen.

 

[User Name]

Gee, statistically, Philadelphia is not nearly as safe as many cities in Iraq.

Where's CNN's report on that? Where's Hollywood's outrage? Where are the protests?

Oh, John Street is a Democrat. That explains it.

But there's no media bias.

 

[Philagoofy]

What pisses me off the most though, is all these people on the news screaming about how the violence needs to end, but yet nobody steps up and SPEAKS up against something that they knew or even SAW happen.

I thought that too but I think they are afraid of retaliation, either against them or their family. I think there was a story the other night in the Inquirer about some witnesses that changed their minds and won't testify because of threats. Didn't really read it, too depressing day after day.

I don't think there is one right answer, but many. Education and availablility to activities, some sense of hope for the future. It has to start with the parents, can't expect the government to raise kids. Parents have to take more responsibility. But if they feel hopelessness too and the kids find easy money in drugs, , just so difficult.

 

[Hixski]

Well at least you weren't named the most dangerous city. Just one day after our Cardinals won the World Series we were named the most dangerous city. St. Louis beat out everyone else for that wonderful title. Funny thing is most people feel safe here. Of course I do live out in the suburbs but go downtown for games and such.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Gee, statistically, Philadelphia is not nearly as safe as many cities in Iraq.

Where's CNN's report on that? Where's Hollywood's outrage? Where are the protests?

Oh, John Street is a Democrat. That explains it.

But there's no media bias.

Between Jan 1, and October 1, 2006, murders in Philly numbered 337. In Bagdad, that number is over 5,000. This comes out to about 27 per 100k in Philly and about 81 in Bagdad. But don't let actual facts get in the way of a media bias rant.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Here are some statistics in this article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/25/AR2006082500940.html

The death rate for African American men ages 20 to 34 in Philadelphia was 4.37 per 1,000 in 2002, 11 percent higher than among troops in Iraq. Slightly more than half the Philadelphia deaths were homicides.

 

[Tinkerboy00]

At first I thought maybe you were talking about Orlando Its just as bad.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_local_orlandocrime/2006/12/violent_crime_u.html

we might be actually getting a chapter of the Guardian Angels to come and help protect the streets.

 

[joshsmom]

Well at least you weren't named the most dangerous city. Just one day after our Cardinals won the World Series we were named the most dangerous city. St. Louis beat out everyone else for that wonderful title. Funny thing is most people feel safe here. Of course I do live out in the suburbs but go downtown for games and such.

That was really nice--really made the World Series festivities that much more fun. I remember St. Louis did one of those countdowns either last year or the year before. Some speculated on the local news that the countdowns may actually "encourage" more violent acts in order to "beat the old record." I don't know if that's true or not--I don't think people who are killing other people are really concerned about the murder rate and whether or not is better or worse than last year's. Its just sad.

 

[User Name]

Between Jan 1, and October 1, 2006, murders in Philly numbered 337. In Bagdad, that number is over 5,000. This comes out to about 27 per 100k in Philly and about 81 in Bagdad. But don't let actual facts get in the way of a media bias rant.

Feel free and re-read my post. I said "many cities in Iraq." I never mentioned Baghdad. I'm curious why you went right for the most dangerous city in Iraq, instead of quoting statistics that might just bolster my statement.

It's not just the media that's biased, huh? Keep on spinning.

 

[hentob]

So sad

I love Philly. It is a beautiful city, with an amazing history. We enjoy spending time in the City of Brotherly Love

But I am getting more and more apprehensive about going there


Gangs. Drugs. Thugs. People who feel hopeless. Bad schools. A ferry ride away from Trenton (which has its own issues).

It needs to stop. Something needs to be done or this city will crumble.

The mayor needs to get his butt out of office Bring in somebody who wants to make MAJOR changes.

 

[Philagoofy]

So sad
The mayor needs to get his butt out of office Bring in somebody who wants to make MAJOR changes.

Rendell may not have been the best (who is) but things were turning around financially while he was mayor. Things just seem to have gotten worse since Street took office. Although I did have my little street snow plowed one year (but not since).