Recently, two men who arrested for the part they played in a Rittenhouse Square shooting. This is just one of the incidents in Philadelphia that have been making the headlines for high-profile crimes, and residents have been on edge about their safety and that of their families. Due to the high crime rates, people are avoiding doing business in Philadelphia and those who are there are considering closing shop and moving their business elsewhere.
The police continue putting more effort to combat crime in the Center City Area. Police believe that drugs are the cause of the spike in crime rates. Narcotics officers have made several arrests between Chestnut and Spruce along 15th Street. The drug trade is not the only issue when it comes to crime in Philadelphia but is a source of fuel for other crimes.
Various Crimes Prevailing In Philadelphia
There have been a number of crimes in the news lately in Philadelphia. In order to raise more alertness of these 
crimes it helps to know some of the circumstances of these incidents. Here are the different kinds of reported crimes in the area:
- People getting robbed especially businesses located in areas where drugs are sold. For instance, the owner of Blink Optical has been robbed twice and is considering shutting down the business.
- Homeless people have become victims of aggravated assaults. Most of them have been forced to move away from Love Park along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway because of construction.
- There have been random incidences of shootings in various parts of Philadelphia.
- There are incidences of sexual assaults occurring in different places including hospitals. One incident that made the headlines was that of a fake nurse who molested a child in a children’s hospital.
- There have been murders and homicides all over the area. The city reportedly has over 300 murders every year.
How Can The Crime Rate Be Reduced?
Residents of Philadelphia are tired of feeling unsafe in their streets. There are different things that can be done to reduce the crime rates. Here are some of the suggestions:
Drug Busts
- Drugs are a major contributor to crime and getting rid of them will contribute to safer streets. Educating people on the importance of alerting police of drug rings should be made a priority. Doing so can help the police with some of their investigations.
Gang Busts
- One of the problems in Philadelphia is the increase in the number of gangs. There are more incidences of gang-related crimes in the area. People are on edge since most gangs are armed. Innocent bystanders often get caught in the crossfire and the government should put more effort into cracking gang rings.
Governmental Responsibilities
- One of the causes of insecurity is the lack of employment opportunities especially for the youth who turn to
drugs and other forms of crime to earn an income. The government can increase the number of employment opportunities thus making sure the youth are engaged in more useful activities. - The city council should allocate more resources towards addressing the security concerns residents are concerned about. This also includes increasing the number of police officers patrolling the streets and ensuring they are well equipped.
- Allocating resources for the establishment of shelters for the homeless can decrease assaults on them. Since construction has increased in the city homeless people are forced out of their usual places of shelter making them targets for a variety of assaults.
With Philadelphia crime reaching areas such as Rittenhouse Square Park more needs to be done to bring back safety and security. Although the crime rates cannot go down overnight, both government and residents can work together to combat crime in the city.
