Fairmount Park shooting is a warning sign for Philadelphia as homicide numbers climb | Editorial

A recent uptick in gun violence — including a Memorial Day shooting in Fairmount Park — serves as an urgent reminder for Philadelphians that while the number of homicides has plummeted from pandemic-era highs, the city still has a serious public safety problem.

Between 2014 and 2020, the city’s homicide rate doubled. In 2021, 562 people were killed and more than 2,300 were shot — the worst year for killings on record. Ahead of the 2023 mayoral election, gun violence had become the city’s greatest concern.

In 2024, the city experienced a remarkable 35% reduction in homicides. Shootings fell to less than half their 2021 peak. Until recently, this year seemed likely to continue that trend.

Then May happened.

According to Philadelphia police data, the city had 63 homicides at the end of April, a reduction of nearly 30% from 2024. As of Wednesday, that number stands at 91, a reduction of 13%.

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The numbers could not be trending in the wrong direction at a worse time, as summer tends to be the most violent time of the year in Philadelphia.

The mass shooting Monday at Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill underlined the rising threat, with two dead and nine wounded in what the mayor called a “heinous act.” Since taking office 17 months ago, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and her team have focused on an “all-of-the-above strategy” when it comes to violence reduction.

At the start of this year, this board expressed optimism that the plan might be working. Kevin J. Bethel, who “doesn’t need a GPS to make it to 52nd and Market,” launched a series of new initiatives, including an emphasis on expanding the duties of patrol officers. The district attorney’s office invested in forensics and shut down gangs like the Young Bag Chasers. The city’s homicide detectives increased their clearance rate from 20% to 70%. And millions were poured into violence prevention and intervention programs.

But while significant reductions in homicides and shootings are a reason to celebrate, the city’s overall crime numbers remain a concern.

Philadelphia has seen over 5,000 incidences of violent crime this year — almost exactly where we were in 2024. While the homicide rate has shifted significantly each year, the city looks likely to yet again experience around 15,000 violent incidents, a number that has been consistent for the last decade.

The Parker administration has pledged to respond, including by increasing the police presence in Fairmount Park. One complicating factor for local officials is the shortsighted cost-saving measures coming from Washington. Millions of federal dollars that support local anti-violence initiatives have already been cut, with even well-regarded programs like the Group Violence Intervention and the Community Crisis Intervention Program feeling the impact.

Given the scale of the challenge and the sudden reversal in progress, city officials must be even more vigilant in their violence reduction efforts. One way is to ensure the dollars the city still has are spent as effectively as possible.

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For years, too many anti-violence programs have been funded based on good intentions and no results. With federal cuts on the horizon, the city can’t afford to waste another dollar of violence prevention funding.

With a shortage of more than 1,000 police officers, the city also needs to push forward more aggressively with the “civilianization” of hundreds of administrative jobs currently being performed by sworn officers.

Beyond freeing up personnel for patrol duty, allowing for more civilians to take jobs also makes it easier for the department to recruit for crucial roles. After all, not everyone who is willing to work in forensics and other technical fields within criminal justice wants to go through the police academy and carry a gun at work.

The Parker administration and Bethel deserve credit for last year’s reduction in homicides and shooting incidents. They should ensure their efforts continue moving Philadelphia in the right direction.