Six more detectives will be assigned to homicide, says Acting Police Commissioner Christine Coulter.
"Sometimes when you get new folks, that new energy translates into the other folks that have been there too, that they come up with an idea or show something they have done in their divisions that folks may not be aware of," she said.
Even though the homicide rate this year will likely match last year, it remains the highest number of people killed in Philadelphia in a decade.
Coulter says the idea is for the new cops to first assist veteran detectives, but eventually move up to take cases of their own.
"I think coming into homicide and having that extra man or woman on the team to be able to be doing the interview, or getting the phone downloaded, or doing things that will help them solve cases, I think will help ultimately start beginning to raise our clearance rate, but what that really does is drop our homicide numbers," she said.
She says arresting those who have killed others can prevent future murders from happening.
"How many lives can we save that we don’t have that retaliation, that we don’t have the back and forth between groups," she said.
Within the past year, the unit’s clearance rate — or the number of cases seemingly solved — has grown.
"We are currently at about 53 1/2 percent, up about 10 percent from this time last year," she said.
The department has also added a new website to highlight the unsolved murders in the city, which has drawn in some additional tips.