Crime in Philly Is Falling (Spread the Word)
If we want our city to rebound, people need to understand that public safety is improving quickly.
Crime in Philadelphia is falling, and the city really is getting safer. / Photograph by Jayson Gomes
When I talk to people about what’s happening in Philadelphia these days, the most frequent comments I hear are about crime. My neighborhood doesn’t feel safe anymore. The city doesn’t feel safe anymore. I don’t want to come into town anymore. I’m not sure I want to live in town anymore. The high-profile shootings we’ve seen lately — at the Eid al-Fitr celebration in West Philly; at the SEPTA bus stop in Northeast Philly in March — only add to those negative impressions.
I understand exactly where such thoughts and feelings come from. During the depth of the pandemic and immediately afterward, crime really did spike in Philadelphia — as it did in most large cities. In 2019, the last full year before COVID, there were 352 murders in Philadelphia. In 2021, the number jumped to 562, an all-time record in the city.
Homicide wasn’t the only problem. That same year, 2021, armed robbery jumped 28 percent over the prior year, retail theft zoomed 19 percent, and car theft went up 15 percent.
The following year, 2022, violent crime stabilized, but property crime grew by an astonishing 31 percent. Making things even worse was the brazenness of some of the crimes — people being attacked in broad daylight on SEPTA, or criminals grabbing merchandise off store shelves and walking out without anyone saying a word.
All of this had consequences, starting with the fact that many Philadelphians didn’t feel safe in their own homes and neighborhoods. But we also saw the impact in other ways, including declining retail activity, suppressed visitor numbers, and, most significantly, population loss. Philadelphia lost more than 50,000 people between 2020 and 2023, and while not all of it was due to crime, I’m confident that some of it was.
Fortunately, we’re now seeing some really good news on the public safety front — and I think we need to celebrate it.
After declining significantly in 2023, crime is dropping even faster in the first four months of 2024. According to city statistics, the number of homicides is down 37 percent this year compared to last year — in fact, it’s the lowest since 2018. We’re seeing significant progress in other categories, too, from aggravated assault and armed robbery to car theft and residential burglary. All told, property crime offenses are down 12 percent compared to this point in 2023, while violent crime offenses are at their lowest level in at least a decade.
Why such progress? Mostly it’s a reflection of life getting back to normal four years after COVID first hit. Kids are back in school. Adults are back at work (if not always in the office anymore). All of that makes a difference. At the same time, new police commissioner Kevin Bethel — who said he wanted to restore a sense of “order” to the city — has implemented smart policies that are helping to do exactly that.
No, we’re not done yet. Any level of crime is bad, and certain categories — retail theft tops the lists — remain stubbornly high. So we need to keep pushing. I’m hopeful that Commissioner Bethel’s policies will continue to drive our numbers down, and that Mayor Parker’s ambitious plan to clean up Kensington will not only make a difference there, but help reduce lawlessness throughout the city.
But I’d argue that we as citizens have a role to play as well. First, we need to start having faith in the numbers we’re seeing — faith that the city really is getting safer. It’s a little like poking your head out the door after a ferocious thunderstorm. Is it okay to go out there yet? Yes, it is.
We also need to start spreading the word about what’s happening (or at least stop spreading the false narrative that the city is getting more dangerous). The more that people feel safe in their own city, the more they get out and about. Which only makes the streets even safer.
The last four years haven’t been easy by any measure. But it’s time for Philadelphians to have confidence that brighter days really are ahead.
Allan Domb served as an at-large member of Philadelphia’s City Council from 2016 to 2022 and is president of Allan Domb Real Estate.
