PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A group of gun violence prevention activists have pledged to bring overnight peace patrols to 77 Philadelphia blocks in 77 days in an effort to deter shootings.
The initiative, called Operation Hug the Block, kicked off Tuesday night and will run until the November election. Organizers decided to patrol 77 blocks based on recent data that found at least 77 blocks in Philadelphia had 10 or more shootings since 2015.
The effort is a collaboration between the leaders of Philly Truce and longtime anti-gun violence activist Jamal Johnson.
Each night, from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., groups will patrol different blocks in Philadelphia that are considered the most at-risk for gun violence.
“From 10 to midnight, we’ll probably be pretty vocal, making some noise, kind of letting people know what we’re doing,” said Mazzie Casher, co-founder of Philly Truce. “And from midnight on, it’ll be silent vigil, patrolling around the perimeter of the 77 blocks.”
The most important thing, he said, is getting the community involved so they can “see how basic something like visible deterrence could be on their block.”
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“The ideal scenario is that everybody picks it up from the day we go to their block and carry it on at least to the election, because the city needs to be shaken up.” The initiative runs through the November election, when residents will vote for a new mayor of Philadelphia.
Casher said the current administration has had a “very inept response to gun violence,” and it’s crucial that neighbors unify and speak up for their communities.
“We’re trying to build a momentum,” Johnson echoed. “We just want people to come back out again and start invigorating our communities again, bringing kids back out and start living like we did before this epidemic started.”
While the strategy has already garnered support from some City Council members and police — who will provide security during the peace patrols — Johnson said they hope more community members and elected officials will volunteer their time.
“The main message we want them to hear is that we are the answer to the problem of gun violence and only we can solve it, so we must get involved,” he emphasized.
Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up on Philly Truce’s website. A calendar of the blocks that the group will be visiting is available here.
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