Understanding the issue
Early in the race -- and as the city's murder tally soared to 406 in 2006 -- crime became THE issue of the 2007 race. It was also the top issue in the first poll of the mayor's race, far above any other issue, and subsequent polls have shown the same thing.
This has been one of the earliest issues that the Would-be Mayors have discussed.
Understanding the deeper issues that lead to crime -- and how a city can stop it -- is much harder, however.
Compare the candidates
All the candidates were quick to release crime plans. Crime was named the top issue in the race way back in August 2006, in the first Keystone poll -- and there the issue has remained, particularly as the murder rate has climbed.
LEARN MORE:
The candidates debate crime plans at St. Joes (2/22/07)
Street challenges candidates to pay for cops (2/15/07) WHYY News
Here's a look -- written by the Daily News' Catherine Lucey -- at what Brady, Evans, Fattah, Knox and Nutter have proposed to address the top issue of the campaign. We've added additional material so you can fully evaluate the candidates' plans.
All five Democratic primary candidates have promised major anti-crime efforts with pumped-up law enforcement and enhanced social services.
But they get a bit fuzzy about how they'll pay for all those cops and after school programs — while analysts say soaring city pension and health benefit costs will likely force the next mayor to make some tough choices.
Adding more police officers to the 6,600-person force will be a huge expense — with a price tag in the neighborhood of $130 million for 500 officers over five years, according to the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, a state fiscal watchdog over city finances.
Here's an overview of what the candidates are proposing, the costs — and the challenges for making it a reality.
-- Catherine Lucey
BOB BRADY
Hasn't released a detailed crime plan yet but he puts out a plan on recidivism — ex-offenders returning to criminal behavior — today . Brady also has said he wants a thousand more cops, parole officers and truancy officers. And he plans to set up a cabinet level position to coordinate faith-based community efforts and job training.
COST: While there's no total dollar amount, Brady's campaign estimated a $40 million annual cost for the 1,000 new positions.
WHERE'S THE MONEY? The campaign said they would seek state and federal funding as well as try to run the police department more efficiently.
REALITY CHECK: City Budget Director Dianne Reed said there hasn't been a recent study on how to streamline the police department, so it's hard to know what efficiencies could be made there.
As for state and federal funding, Rob Dubow, executive director of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, the state fiscal watchdog, said money from those sources has diminished in recent years. "The state and fed governments are having their own budget problems," he said.
MORE:
Brady launches his mayoral bid (discusses crime) (1/26/07) Daily News
D.A.: Brady would do most to fight crime (2/27/07) Daily News
Short comment on Brady's crime goals from his Web site
DWIGHT EVANS
Evans wants to add 500 new cops right away and bring back former police commissioner John Timoney, now police chief in Miami. He also plans to provide cops with modern technology, improve school safety and enhance the justice system, as well as improving neighborhood quality of life -- including education -- to prevent later crime..
COST: No overall cost is provided by his campaign. But adding those cops would cost at least $130 million, and new technology won't come cheap either.
WHERE'S THE MONEY? Evans said he will cut waste in the city budget by renegotiating deals for city purchases and reducing the budget for the Mayor's Office. He also said he would try to dedicate some of the money from the proposed slots casinos to crime fighting. And he would try to get more funding from the state.
REALITY CHECK Timoney has remained coy on whether he would actually come back. And the casino money is already figured into the city's five year plan, according to Dubow. So it might be tricky to divert it without cutting somewhere else.
MORE:
Evans: Battle violence with education (1/30/07) Daily News
For more: Evans: connection between crime, education (1/30/07) WHYY News
Discussion of Evans' anti-crime ads from the blog
CHAKA FATTAH
Fattah has said he will focus on reducing illegal guns with more cops — although he hasn't specified a number — upgraded technology, 1,000 new security cameras and rewards for tips about illegal firearms. He has also stressed that the key to fighting crime is improving educational opportunity in the city and he wants to enhance youth services.
COST: At least $200 million for the first four years, if Fattah were to add 500 officers to the rest of his plan.
WHERE'S THE MONEY? Fattah's campaign said he expected to get state and federal money to cover some of the items. A spokesman also said they expected to make money available by cutting costs in city government.
REALITY CHECK: Cameras have had mixed results reducing crime in other cities, according to crime experts. And cutting government costs will be no easy task. A huge chunk of the city budget goes to expenses that will likely keep growing — health care, pensions, prisons and debt service. And the city has already cut back the number of jobs since 2001, Reed said.
Reed said there are limits on what can be cut. "Are we going to get out of the sanitation business?" she said.
MORE:
Fattah, Evans point to records on crime funding (1/9/07) WHYY News
Fattah's plan: More cops, cash, cameras (1/8/07) Daily News
Blog discussion of Nutter, Fattah's plans
TOM KNOX
Knox has called for the biggest increase in cops, saying he wants 1,000 new officers. He also wants to provide police with updated technology, create a 311 call system — to divert less serious 911 calls — improve job training and increase anti-drug efforts.
COST: The five-year cost of the plan, according to his campaign, is $423 million.
WHERE'S THE MONEY? Knox says he will make significant savings in the city budget through attrition and cost cutting. He plans to apply for money from the federal government
REALITY CHECK: Again, even for a business mogul like Knox, making major budget cuts could be tough. Basically to free up more money, jobs or services will have to go.
"I think in any large organization there's always room for efficiency, but I don't think it's on a massive scale," Dubow said.
MORE:
Knox delivers 80,000-signature petitions to Harrisburg, demanding Philly set own gun laws
Blog discussion of Knox's crime plan
MICHAEL NUTTER
PLAN: The centerpiece of Nutter's crime plan is to set up emergency zones throughout the city where residents could be subject to curfews and "stop and frisk" searches for illegal weapons. He also plans to hire 500 additional cops and expand social services for kids and ex-offenders.
COST: Nutter's campaign did not provide an overall cost analysis, but the number would be upwards of $130 million, given the cost of the 500 new cops.
WHERE'S THE MONEY? Nutter said he would pursue federal grants and state funds for some of the proposals. He also said he would use money from the city's general fund.
REALITY CHECK: Crime experts have questioned whether an aggressive stop and frisk effort would infringe on residents' civil liberties. And, once again, cutting the city budget will be tough, as will garnering more state or federal grants.
MORE:
For more: Nutter to unveil plan vs. crime (1/16/07) Daily News
Nutter on declaring a 'crime emergency' in the city
Blog discussion of Nutter, Fattah's plans
Philly's Powder Keg
Holmesburg Prison, part of the overcrowding debate
Convicted felons can't vote for mayor but people close to prisoners, guards, people awaiting trial and those serving times for misdemeanor crimes sure can. We blogged about it. Or read WHYY's prison overcrowding story.
Much earlier in the race, we also asked each of the six mayoral candidates what they'd do about violent crime in Philadelphia (published 7/18/06)
The science of crime fighting
On Radio Times w/ Marty Moss-Coane, Marty discussed the legality and effectiveness of "stop and frisk" policies with David Rudovsky, a civil rights attorney and senior Fellow at University of Pennsylvania Law School, and Lawrence Sherman, Director of the University of Pennsylvania's Jerry Lee Center of Criminology.
If you missed this fascinating discussion click you can check out the Real Audio and downloadable .mp3 versions. (12/14/06)
Budget to reduce crime?
Tax reformers Philadelphia Forward say the city budget doesn't address crime sufficiently.
For hard-core stats fans
You may enjoy the Philadelphia NIS crime base, which tracks crime in a variety of ways (take the time to learn it). Or try the Pa. State Police Crime Statistics Database.
September's march on Harrisburg
The Would-be Mayors are among the crowd demanding better gun laws. Present: Nutter, Fattah, Evans. (9/27/06)
Read the Daily News coverage here.
Read Knox's statement on his petition delivery (from the PR archive).
Elected officials respond to murder epidemic
WHYY News: Shai Ben-Yaacov reports on Perzel's plan to hire new police. (9/12/06)
Bonus WHYY audio: Dwight Evans statement on new police hires (9/12/06)
Daily News: City's biggest big shots meet to address violence (8/1/06)
Inquirer: City holds a summit on gun violence (8/1/06) Brady, Evans
WHYY: Joel Rose previews Bob Brady's violence summit (7/31/06)
WHYY: Brad Linder reports on the Mayor's televised address (7/28/06)
You can listen to the Mayor's entire speech from July 27th here and listen to the very candid question and answer session that took place afterwards here.
John Baer | More study: That'll stop the violence (7/13/06)
Mark Alan Hughes | What can a mayor do about murder? (12/06/05)
Elmer Smith | Fixing the problem defies easy solution (12/02/05)
Operation Safer Streets
From WHYY's Radio Times: Listen to Host Marty Moss-Coane's conversation with Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson about Operation Safer Streets. (2/17/06)
Sandra Shea went to church with Mayor Street six times as he introduced Operation Safer Streets, and saw "pastoral politics, demonstrated by a master." (2/06/06)
From WHYY News: At the press conference announcing Safer Streets, Mayor Street talks about efforts to change the "attitude problem" that makes people turn so quickly to gun violence. (02/03/2006)
More attention to the murder rate
From WHYY's Radio Times: Host Marty Moss-Coane discusses this topic with Harold Jackson, deputy editorial page editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Victoria Yancey, who is a liaison between the Philadelphia School District and victims families, and Pastor Dicie Gilmore, member of Mothers in Charge. Her son Nasir was killed in April 2004.
Harold Jackson and Victoria Yancey say that many people in communities beset by violence are afraid to speak out because they fear that the system will fail to protect them.
Pastor Dicie Gilmore talks from firsthand experience about how violence in Philadelphia's neighborhoods is tearing apart families and claiming many more people than just the murder victims.
Marty and Harold Jackson explain that the entire Philadelphia community - as a collection of families - has been affected by the almost daily shootings and murders.
Harold Jackson discusses actions that can be taken to deal with increased violence in Philadelphia's neighborhoods. Jackson's suggestion is just one of many that may be brought up during the campaign for the next mayor.
Cherie Ryan, a member of Mothers in Charge, lost her son to gun violence. She calls Radio Times to make a point about Philadelphia's political, business and faith-based leadership, asking why the city's leaders have not expressed more concern over the increase in murders.
To listen to this episode of Radio Times in its entirety please click here.
WHYY's On-Line Special about Violent Crime in Philadelphia
What you said
"They've just got to figure out a way to get the guns off the streets. That's all. I mean, there's been a lot of deaths lately. So that's what they need to do, just figure out a way to stop the violence and all that. Get more jobs in the city. That's what we need."
Elijah Middleton, Kingsessing
WHYY On-Line Special
WHYY 91FM News and Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane offer extensive coverage and analysis of the violent crime wave that currently grips the city of Philadelphia.
The May 2007 Franklin and Marshall Keystone Poll says about 75 percent of voters rank crime as the most important issue in the mayor's race. Homicides in the city of Philadelphia reached over 400 last year and the numbers for this year are up compared to last year.
WHYY's Susan Phillips has this report.
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