PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A group of city and interfaith leaders have joined the push behind an app they hope can prevent lives being lost to gun violence.
The free app, Philadelphia's latest effort to combat steadily rising homicide numbers, represents just one piece of the $150 million budgeted for crime prevention.
Philly Truce can be downloaded and installed on a smartphone. In the event of conflict in someone's neighborhood, they can use Philly Truce to request help from trained community mediators.
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Download the Philly Truce app:
• iPhone
• Android
"We’re not affiliated with the police, and that’s because our approach is preventive and preemptive," said Mazzie Casher, one of the creators of Philly Truce.
"If you tell us as soon as possible, we don’t need the police. What we're saying is: Let us, as your community, come help you redirect your loved ones. It’s that simple. It’s a very old concept in a new box."
But does it work? Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, and interfaith leaders who have joined forces to promote the app, say it already has.
"We've seen it work [Fourth of July] weekend. The app allows individuals to talk. Nine times out of 10, the shootings happen by something that could be resolved by having a conversation," Johnson said.
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Johnson says that is one of the reasons why the Philadelphia Interfaith Coalition joined the initiative.
They are all hoping the partnership with the 50 Philadelphia churches in the coalition will help get the word out to congregations and communities across the city, so they can help mitigate conflicts and put a stop to the violence.
The Fourth of July weekend was not free of the gun violence that has been infecting the city, however. One person was killed, and three injured, in four separate shootings on the morning of July 4.
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