{"id":716843,"date":"2021-09-04T12:06:04","date_gmt":"2021-09-04T16:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=716843"},"modified":"2021-09-04T12:06:07","modified_gmt":"2021-09-04T16:06:07","slug":"when-will-pa-mayors-wake-up-to-the-crime-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/when-will-pa-mayors-wake-up-to-the-crime-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"When Will PA Mayors Wake Up To The Crime Crisis?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhen-will-pa-mayors-wake-up-to-the-crime-crisis%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=716843&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/250EBB8B-1FCF-4C68-AF2A-F8DD49F57C4C-scaled-e1630708708110.jpeg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Amid surging crime in Pennsylvania\u2019s largest cities, it remains unclear if Democratic leadership is up to the task of ensuring law and order.<\/p>\n<p>Take Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney \u2026 who faces intensifying criticism as the city grapples with a public safety crisis. This year, 137 children under age 18 have been shot in city neighborhoods, and 32 have died. \u201cThat\u2019s a bullet ripping into a young person\u2019s body every 40 hours,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/opinion\/philadelphia-shootings-homicide-children-gun-memorial-mayor-kenney-helen-ubinas-20210819.html\">wrote<\/a> the Philadelphia Inquirer\u2019s Helen Ubi\u00f1as.<\/p>\n<p>Last month, after a 15-year-old girl was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/news\/philadelphia-tioga-teen-girl-shot-20210817.html\">shot<\/a> in the head in North Philadelphia (she died the next day), community activists called for Kenney to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/crime\/national-guard-mayor-kenney-gun-violence-stanley-crawford-jamal-johnson-police-20210818.html\">deploy<\/a> the Pennsylvania National Guard in the crime-ridden city. Kenney, though, said it is not an \u201ceffective tool to bring in uniformed, camouflaged, gun-rifle-carrying people in helmets to address [the crime] problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recent <a href=\"https:\/\/6abc.com\/philadelphia-crime-homicide-stats-philly-murders\/6351850\/\">data<\/a> indicate that Philadelphia, where crime <a href=\"https:\/\/mikenutterllc.com\/news\/news-item\/philadelphia-homicides-1960-2020\">declined<\/a> in the early 2010s, is now the second-deadliest city in the United States behind Chicago. As the Philadelphia Inquirer recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/opinion\/editorials\/philadelphia-gun-violence-homicide-clearance-police-misconduct-20210823.html\">put it<\/a>, \u201cThere\u2019s only been one day so far this year \u2013 Jan. 2 \u2013 when not a single person was shot in the city.\u201d The city experienced a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phillytrib.com\/news\/local_news\/philadelphia-homicides-surge-hit-30-year-high-in-2020\/article_0b9b8851-5aa1-5517-8b5a-5b93786fe7de.html\">30-year homicide high<\/a> in 2020. So far this year, homicides are up more than 24% and shootings more than 25%, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/philadelphia-anticrime-activists-calls-for-national-guard-to-stem-the-violence-in-the-city-report\">according<\/a> to data from the Philadelphia Police Department.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe epidemic of gun violence in Philadelphia is out of control and our elected officials in the city need to step up and take responsibility,\u201d said Nick Gerace, a retired longtime Philadelphia police officer and president of Protect Our Police PAC.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutions have fallen <a href=\"https:\/\/broadandliberty.com\/2021\/08\/08\/stop-phillys-cycle-of-violence-d-a-krasner-must-prosecute-gun-crimes\/\">dramatically<\/a> under Larry Krasner, the city\u2019s progressive district attorney who has sparred with Kenney. As it stands, 65% of gun charges have been dismissed or withdrawn this year, marking a 17% increase since 2015. In 2015, there were 375 guilty pleas; in 2020, just 148.<\/p>\n<p>Yet Kenney has deflected blame. In July, for example, the mayor sent a letter to a city council member who favors declaring the gun crisis an \u201cemergency\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/hJCxj#selection-559.160-559.237\">and claimed<\/a> that doing so \u201cis not a solution that will demonstrably change conditions in Philadelphia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this summer, after the City Council <a href=\"https:\/\/6abc.com\/philadelphia-news-police-defund\/6237686\/\">voted<\/a> to cut police funding by <a href=\"https:\/\/philadelphia.cbslocal.com\/2020\/06\/18\/philadelphia-city-council-approves-budget-33-million-cuts-police-department\/\">$33 million<\/a> for fiscal year 2021, the mayor <a href=\"https:\/\/6abc.com\/philadelphia-news-philly-budget-cuts-pfd\/6253506\/\">agreed<\/a> to eliminate a $19 million increase and cut <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcphiladelphia.com\/news\/local\/preliminary-philly-budget-reduces-police-funding-implements-reform\/2437914\/\">existing<\/a> funding by $14 million.<\/p>\n<p>Carlos Vega, a longtime assistant district attorney who unsuccessfully ran against Krasner in May\u2019s Democratic primary, told me that the defund-the-police movement will fail.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s communities of color being killed,\u201d Vega said, observing how <a href=\"https:\/\/controller.phila.gov\/philadelphia-audits\/mapping-gun-violence\/#\/2021\">85%<\/a> of this year\u2019s homicide victims are black. \u201cPeople have not thought through the impact defund the police is going to have on communities who are suffering the most.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Philadelphia is not alone among Pennsylvania cities in failing to stave off crime. Often overlooked amid the nationwide crime surge is Pittsburgh, in recent years considered the Rust Belt\u2019s greatest urban success story.<\/p>\n<p>Following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.post-gazette.com\/news\/crime-courts\/2020\/06\/01\/Pittsburgh-extends-curfew-protests-george-floyd\/stories\/202006010049\">last summer\u2019s riots<\/a>, homicides have about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/07\/22\/1018996709\/rising-violent-crime-is-likely-to-present-a-political-challenge-for-democrats-in\">doubled<\/a> in Pittsburgh in 2021 over the first six months. As recently as April, the city <a href=\"https:\/\/www.post-gazette.com\/news\/crime-courts\/2021\/04\/19\/Pittsburgh-surge-in-violence-2021-homicides-shootings\/stories\/202104190071\">saw<\/a> a 90% surge in violence, with police officers pleading for more programs and funding. Young people <a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburgh.cbslocal.com\/2021\/05\/24\/young-people-at-center-of-surge-in-violent-crime-in-allegheny-county\/\">continue<\/a> to fall victim to violence, and nonfatal shootings are up about 68%, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.post-gazette.com\/news\/crime-courts\/2021\/08\/22\/Pittsburgh-gun-violence-homicides-COVID-19\/stories\/202108220031\">according<\/a> to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In late August, the University of Pittsburgh <a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburgh.cbslocal.com\/2021\/08\/29\/university-of-pittsburgh-urge-caution-south-side\/\">warned<\/a> students about \u201cviolent criminal activity,\u201d especially in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.post-gazette.com\/local\/city\/2021\/08\/20\/south-side-pittsburgh-crime-east-carson-street-traffic-restrictions-bars-restaurants\/stories\/202108220028\">popular South Side neighborhood<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Still, earlier this year, Democratic Mayor Bill Peduto slashed the police budget by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicsource.org\/pittsburgh-police-mayoral-election-democratic-peduto-gainey-moreno-thompson\/\">$5.3 million<\/a>. Last summer, not long after a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wpxi.com\/news\/top-stories\/man-arrested-near-mayor-pedutos-home-harassment-after-complaints-neighbors\/5QZ2AL2JINE2LETNKTUZFGZ6QM\/\">disorderly demonstrator<\/a> was arrested near Peduto\u2019s neighborhood \u2013 leading to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.post-gazette.com\/news\/crime-courts\/2020\/08\/18\/Pittsburgh-protest-arrest-plainclothes-police-officers-Mayor-Peduto-house\/stories\/202008180152\">protests at his house<\/a> \u2013 the mayor <a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburghpa.gov\/press-releases\/press-releases\/4241\">acknowledged<\/a> the \u201cright for people to take to the streets to demand much-needed reforms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Peduto\u2019s praise for protesters wasn\u2019t enough to survive the city\u2019s Democratic mayoral primary this past May. The more progressive Ed Gainey is poised to win his job in November.<\/p>\n<p>Gainey, a state representative who earned endorsements from <a href=\"https:\/\/gaineyformayor.com\/endorsements\/\">Democratic socialists<\/a> and a <a href=\"https:\/\/pittsburgh.cbslocal.com\/2021\/02\/20\/ed-gainey-seiu-healthcare-pa-endorsement\/\">major<\/a> health care union, went so far as to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicsource.org\/pittsburgh-police-mayoral-election-democratic-peduto-gainey-moreno-thompson\/\">accuse<\/a> Peduto of \u201coverpolicing\u201d the city. He has pledged to \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicsource.org\/pittsburgh-police-mayoral-election-democratic-peduto-gainey-moreno-thompson\/\">redirect<\/a>\u201d law enforcement funds to social services.<\/p>\n<p>Pittsburgh\u2019s GOP insiders see no end in sight to the city\u2019s surging crime. Bob Hillen, chairman of the Republican Committee of Pittsburgh, thinks that far-left Democratic leadership under Gainey will continue to give crime a \u201cfree pass.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe could use more police on the streets right now,\u201d Hillen told me. \u201cI mean, every night there is a shooting. This is well out of hand. We have to do something quick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other regional Republicans are more optimistic. When asked about getting the Steel City\u2019s crime situation under control, Republican state Rep. Rob Mercuri of Allegheny County said, \u201cWe can do this if we work together in the Pittsburgh region.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The GOP is strategizing on how to oust Democrats in a historically moderate state. The focus is on Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. \u201cBill Peduto and Jim Kenney are gaslighting and deflecting blame,\u201d says Allie Carroll, spokeswoman for the state Republican National Committee.<\/p>\n<p>Kenney is term-limited, with Philadelphia\u2019s next mayoral race in 2022, while Gainey is primed to assume office in a city that hasn\u2019t elected a Republican mayor in 88 years. So Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, two Democratic strongholds, find themselves in similar straits. Will their problems trigger a statewide political backlash?<\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><i>Gabe Kaminsky is a senior contributor for The Federalist. His work has appeared in RealClearPolitics, the New York Post, Fox News, and other outlets. Follow him on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Gabe__Kaminsky\">Twitter<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amid surging crime in Pennsylvania\u2019s largest cities, it remains unclear if Democratic leadership is up to the task of ensuring law and order.Take Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney \u2026 who faces &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1891916,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-716843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/716843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=716843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/716843\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1891916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=716843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=716843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=716843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}