How A Violent Crime Wave Is Shaping Philadelphia's Mayoral Race
As in other cities, murders have since begun to trend downward in Philadelphia, but they remain far higher than they were in 2019. And property crimes increased by 38% from 2019 to 2022.
As a result, public safety has become a core theme of Philadelphia’s crowded mayoral race. Gun violence has even affected campaign workers: On Monday, a canvasser working for a progressive group supporting former City Council member Helen Gym’s bid shot and killed another canvasser from the same group while they were distributing literature in northwest Philadelphia’s East Germantown neighborhood. On the same day in another part of the city, two young men, one of whom is facing four murder charges, escaped from a city correctional facility.
People living in neighborhoods with high rates of violence told HuffPost that many law-abiding citizens have begun arming themselves defensively, contributing to a sense of tension and chaos.
“Everybody is on edge,” Day told HuffPost.
It hasn’t helped matters that residents widely see outgoing two-term Mayor Jim Kenney (D) as checked out. Numerous Philadelphians brought up Kenney’s deflating reaction to two police officers getting shot at a July 4th celebration last summer in which he declared that he would be “happy” when he is no longer mayor.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/philadelphia-mayor-election-crime-wave_n_645e87b8e4b094269bb4144b
