PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — City officials say Philadelphia is on pace to reach a record 600 homicides this year — and that’s before the typical summer spike.
In an all-hands-on-deck effort, federal agencies are providing the Philadelphia Police Department with more resources to quell the soaring surge in gun violence.
Additional FBI agents will assist the police department with investigations into gang violence, carjackings and armed robberies. The FDA, EPA and IRS, which have never been involved like this before, are also stepping up.
“The bureau will also task more intelligence analysts to this mission in order to better understand the networks operated by Philadelphia’s most prolific criminals,” said acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams.
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The ATF will add more forensic analysts to help the police crime lab upload ballistics into the federal gun database. Arbittier Williams did not specify how many agents from the FBI and ATF are now dedicated to the city.
She did say they will be looking closely at which gun cases to prosecute federally.
“If you are convicted of a serious violent offense, you will be looking at years or even decades in the federal system,” she assured.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said those committing the crimes have to face consequences. Data shows the district attorney’s prosecution is on the decline. She said a federal gun crime conviction could stop others from picking up a firearm.
“More stringent consequences, more years, longer terms, and that can serve as a deterrent, not only for repeat offenders but for anyone else in their networks or circle who may consider doing the same thing,” she suggested.
“We make the VUFA (Violation of Uniform Firearms Act) arrests. The conviction rates are going down. The trend lines are going up, as far as the guns that we’re getting off the street and the VUFA arrests that we’re making. I have been asking for more and more consequences,” she declared. “We would like to see — I don’t care who does, it needs to get done. People are dying.”
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Arbittier Williams echoed Outlaw with a more transparent message:
“To anyone who might be thinking about picking up a gun in order to shoot or threaten or intimidate someone, I warn you: The moment you commit that violent crime, you will feel dread like never before, because we are coming after you.”