HOW MUCH DOES THE MAYOR’S PRETEND CRIME EMERGENCY COST?
Time to fire up the ol’ time machine and take a look at the mayor’s “crime emergency”. You’ll recall that there was quite a bit of criticism about placing more cops in neighborhoods like Chestnut Hill and University City, both afflicted with “problems” like wealth and a private police force provided by UPenn, as opposed to “actual high crime”:
Conversely, six districts that reported some of the worst violent-crime rates last year did not make the commissioner’s list: the Sixth District, which includes eastern Center City and North Philadelphia; the 16th District, including Mantua and Powelton in West Philadelphia; the 23d District in North Philadelphia; the 24th and 26th Districts, encompassing Kensington, Fishtown and Port Richmond; and the 17th.
Here’s the map I provided at the time:
Note that the red areas are where the police presence was augmented, neglecting high crime areas like the 12th, 22nd, the 25th, and the 39th. I’d like to know how much it cost to provide extra protection for the well-heeled residents of Chestnut Hill, why that was necessary, and whether that was a wise use of the City’s money? The Mayor wants to close the branch libraries, but it seems that he could find significant savings if he canceled his pretend crime emergency, which isn’t targeting the neighborhoods that are actually plagued with high crime. Don’t tell me this policy is abnythign other than a joke: no one sent extra cops to Kingsessing last year when three kids met their end at the point of a gun. We didn’t have ANY killings this year (so far), but now the Mayor wants to destroy the very few resources we have that keep kids of the streets, provide them with a chance at a future, and contribute to the security of the community.
For a guy that talks a lot about public safety, Mayor Nutter sure seems to give the issue short shrift, especially if you’re poor. Security and stability isn’t simply a matter of more cops, guns, and tasers.
Or perhaps this is part of a more encompassing plan. Perhaps after he closes the pools and libraries, the Mayor will cut the dropout rate and increase the literacy rate by fully implementing stop-and-frisk, arresting as many kids as he can, and incarcerating them. They’ll get a great vocational education courtesy of the state’s prison system (and provide substantial savings to local companies in the form of low-wage labor). when they’re released they’ll get the education and literacy training they need through the Mayor’s Office of Re-entry for Ex-Offenders. Of course their lives will be ruined forever, but if it means we can trash the libraries, i guess it’s OK.
Right? Right?
December 10th, 2008 at 1:16 am
[...] Brendan Calling » Blog Archive » HOW MUCH DOES THE MAYOR’S PRETEND … [...]
December 10th, 2008 at 9:55 am
In the Mayor’s defense, Chestnut Hill is a tiny sliver of the 14th district… which also includes Mt. Ariy, Germantown, Nicetown, Logan, Olney and Oak Lane. Not the worst, but definitely nowhere near the best.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:48 am
It’s my understanding, and if i’m wrong, please correct me, that the boundaries of the crime emergency don’t actually extend down into germantown etc. It’s localized to chestnut hill: I’d have to shell out a couple bucks for the daily news archived article linked in my post from last year, but i think that’s the case. if you send me an article that shows that I’m wrong, i will happily retract my claim.
December 15th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
[...] no attention to stories about widespread violence: the Mayor’s crime emergency isn’t in effect here. And why should it be? It’s not like southwest has high levels violence and crime. It’s [...]