PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia continues its Roadmap to Safer Communities Community Listening Tour Series through November. Most of the people who have attended prior sessions have been focused on finding solutions to gun violence.
The listening tour officially began in spring of 2022, with a series of 10 discussions in neighborhoods throughout the city. The ongoing tour includes more public discussions in the neighborhoods most affected by gun violence.
“We want to focus the majority of our attention on those who are literally, day in and day out, experiencing gun violence,” said Erica Atwood, senior director for the Office of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
“But we also want to be cognizant that the folks that are kind of surrounding those areas also have concerns.”
The discussions are designed as opportunities for community members to discuss violence prevention efforts in the city and to share their opinions, thoughts and recommendations with civic leaders, neighbors and city agencies. Holding the discussions in several sections of the city is intended to help residents all over build partnerships to tackle gun violence.
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“We stand up and talk for 10 minutes and then we sit together, we break bread together as a community, and we have an honest dialogue with my team and community members at their individual tables about what they're seeing, what they're experiencing, and what they need,” Atwood said.
“They want to see officers in the community on the streets. They want more activities for young people, and so want to see them more engaged in positive activities. They want more opportunity for economic mobility,” she said.
This sort of community feedback is presented to city officials. Atwood said, residents who attend fall discussions can expect to hear about actions the city has taken since the first discussions held in the spring.
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It’s too early to gauge whether the listening tours have had a direct impact on crime, but Atwood says it gives the community a voice.
“Regardless of who sits in the seat, the community should have an expectation of access to power, and I want to help them build that expectation,” she said.
One outcome so far is an expansion of their Community Crisis Intervention Program.
“We're adding additional providers,” she said, “and one of our providers is going to focus on juveniles. And so knowing that we need more engagement, more mediation, more opportunities for young people, we're investing in that.”
Two community meetings remain this month:
Nov. 15, 6 – 8 p.m., West Philadelphia (location TBD)
Nov. 17, 6 – 8 p.m., Simons Recreation Center, 7200 Woolston Ave
To register, complete this form. For more information, email cjps@phila.gov.