Perhaps nothing says crime has spiraled out of control in Philadelphia like when the mayor is forced to declare a public safety emergency. It’s a sure sign that things are ominous in the city. It’s arguably even worse when the new mayor does so on her first day in office. Nevertheless, it’s at least comforting to know Mayor Cherelle Parker is taking crime in the city seriously, unlike her predecessor, the insufferable Jim Kenney.
I use the word insufferable because he refused to declare any public emergency despite the record-setting crime that transpired during the last several years of his term. When it came to crime, Kenney blamed Donald Trump, he blamed MAGA Republicans, and he blamed the National Rifle Association. He blamed anyone and anything besides himself. As the bodies kept piling up on the streets, Kenney did nothing. And why did Kenney refuse to do this? Because, he said, it wouldn’t accomplish anything.
“A local declaration will not unlock new funding,” Kenney said at the time, amid calls to declare an emergency. “We’ve already done that. It will not change the immense inter-agency coordination that is occurring. It will not change the work the Philadelphia Police Department is doing to get illegal firearms and dangerous actors off our streets.”
But after years of repeated failure by the Kenney administration, Parker took action. Unlike the cowardly impotence of her predecessor, Parker declared a public safety emergency regarding crime. She did more on her first day in office to show she takes crime seriously than Kenney did in eight years.
“You’ve all heard, ‘It all starts with public safety,’” Parker said. “That’s why my very first public order does declare that state of emergency here in the city. I am fully committed to ending the sense of lawlessness that has been so pervasive in our city and bringing back order and lawfulness.”
Unlike Kenney, who was obsessed with racism and showing everyone just how anti-racist he was instead of doing his duty as mayor to help protect the city’s citizens from criminals, Parker seeks to bring law and order back to the city. Her declared emergency will strategize on reducing violent, property, and retail crimes and ways to improve quality-of-life problems around the city, WPVI reported. It is a small step and a long way to go, but Parker’s actions and desire to do them immediately are a good start.
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“There is a lot of work to be done,” Parker said. “Mark my words, what you see here today is only the beginning.”
All of Philadelphia is hoping she is a woman of her word.