It's interesting that something that none of the public officials are talking about is the fact that there is not enough space in the city prisons. This leads to suspects deemed "less violent" to be released on low bail or even on no bail to make sure there is room for accused murderers. The problem there is many of these "less violent" offenders and, history has shown, go right back out and shoot more people. (I did stories on some of these shooters when I was at the DN.
So why aren't any public officials talking about building a new prison? Part of the reason is probably money but I think the larger reason is that the issue is a racial hot potato.

That is the problem with Philadelphia, everyone is boasting the market in Philadelphia has gone up it is making it a better city and a beautiful one it has become, but who the hell wants to live there if they have to worry about there lives being taken just walking down a back street or at this point any street, and they want to bring in the casinos, could you imagine that you think the crime is bad now, they would only be painting an ugly picture, it is horrible I lived in philadelphia all my life and I love it and do miss it, but I would never think of raising my children there, because when I think of that I think of loosing one of them to a horrific crime..Philadelphia isn't the same city I lived grew up in.. and I think alot of it has to do with the racial problem you can tear down half of the city give it to all the lower income people and build them brand new houses.. and guess what you are not fixing the problem you are just putting a bandaid on it.. the problem stems from lack of education.. that is where philadelphia needs to start with all the young kids not being let down the right path.. well if is is not fixed it is just gonna be a horrible cycle..

Until the black community decides to pay more attention to what Bill Cosby tells than to Al Sharpton's jive, the drug and violence problem in city neighborhoods will continue unabated.

All the cops and government programs in the world will do nothing to attack the root cause of these problems - the black community itself, with its 75% out of wedlock birthrate and where more black males are interested in dunking a basketball than they are in gaining admission to college.

I feel sorry for Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson. The pain he feels about his thankless job is clearly shown on his face as as he gives the details of yet another senseless killing at has become an almost daily press conference.

Wake up, people! Only YOU can change all this.

Looks like it's Giuliani time.. If the police aren't getting a lot of civilian complaints, they aren't trying hard enough.. Where's COMPSTAT? Where's the broken windows theory? Where's the adequate #s of beat cops on foot and targetting of neighborhoods? Where's the plungers?

NYC has been under 600 murders for the past few years, with a population at least 4x the size of Philly? Looks like there is a solution, it just may need a Republican doge to have it implemented.

I am the mother of two sons that were murdered in the streets of Philly. First son 4/7/98 while delivering pizza, second son 8/6/04 (reason unknown, no eye witnesses but 2 suspects). August will be forever a sad month for me as their mother. Both sons birthdays,along with mine is in August. I would support (work) a program that take criminals to witness a autopsy, and a funeral to witness the pain bought on by murder. I also suggest billboards showing the young men, and sometimes young ladies that have lost their right to live, be posted in the neigborhood they lived in. Maybe doing this will open up the eyes and minds of Phila."s young to see and feel the results of their action. Also Churches need to take a active part in the community. I remember walking the streets and singing with the Pastor of a West Philly church to rid our neigborhood of drug selling. I feel that Phila. is a forgotten City of forgotten Love.
Respectively, Mrs. M. Johnson

Posted by: M. Johnson at July 24, 2006 02:00 PM

Sorry for your losses, Mary. I think the problem you mentioned is a huge one: so many young people walk around our streets with armed to the teeth, ready to fire at any moment -- but they have no concept of what they're doing. Simone and I spent some time last week in a local school and asked the kids if they knew what happens when one person shoots another. Most of them shrugged in a manner that suggested they didn't know or care if it meant someone could die.