Watchdog reporting from Kensington, Philadelphia. We dig into how government agencies, elected officials and local institutions spend money and serve the neighborhood.
Prison staff say the staffing shortage makes it impossible to deliver timely, high-quality care for the approximately 4,700 people incarcerated in Philadelphia’s jails daily – a majority of whom present with substance use disorder.
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Philadelphia Police Commissioner Bethel named gun violence and illegal drug activity as top priorities, plus other crimes “that have kept that community pretty much imprisoned for a long time.”
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The Philadelphia Police Academy’s entire graduating class – a total of 78 new officers – will patrol Kensington “24/7” starting June 18. Their deployment will increase the neighborhood’s police force by almost 200%.
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In the weeks since the city dismantled the Kensington Avenue encampment, legal observers, harm reduction advocates, and service providers are wondering why the police gave Christian volunteers more access than others.
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While open drug use in Kensington continues to make national headlines, Philadelphia health workers say the city’s Black residents are quietly overdosing from cocaine, opiates, and other substances at unprecedented rates inside their homes.
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Some residents feel safer, while others say the spillover from the sweep and increased police presence has caused problems on side streets.
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Following an encampment sweep on the 3000 and 3100 blocks of Kensington Avenue Wednesday, police have flooded the area, leading residents and activists to wonder when a law enforcement crackdown is coming
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When outreach workers arrived, the people staying in tents and structures on the 3000-3100 blocks of Kensington Avenue were gone.
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No city social services were present when police dispersed the encampments despite promises from city leaders that the initiative would be “service-led.”
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On Wednesday, social service providers and police officers will tell people living in tents or makeshift structures on Kensington Avenue’s 3000 and 3100 blocks to relocate.
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In some cases, people are connected to long-term recovery programs at Christian facilities that don’t provide evidence-based care, including required unpaid labor or “work therapy.”
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While Philly's police commissioner said the first phase will begin after an encampment sweep scheduled for May 8, the city’s managing director said “we don’t have enough beds” to offer those who need addiction treatment and related services.
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The law would create grants to assist hospitals in hiring Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, or SANE nurses, but it remains unfunded by the state.
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Deputy Police Commissioner Pedro Rosario wants to send the Philadelphia Police Department’s “best out of the best” to Kensington
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State law requires Pennsylvania hospitals to provide rape kit exams on site. Still, Philly's three largest hospital systems have protocols for transferring sexual assault survivors to a facility that is co-located with law enforcement, receives no city funding, and is about $400,000 under budget.
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Effective immediately, businesses without liquor licenses located between Kensington and Frankford avenues and Lehigh Avenue and Tioga Street must close from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
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The 761-page document mentions Kensington a total of 16 times – more than any other neighborhood, including Center City.
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During the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s annual Mayoral Luncheon last week, Mayor Cherelle Parker voiced her support for 7th District Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada and offered attendees another glimpse into her plans for Kensington.
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For some in Kensington and Harrowgate, the “triage” idea demonstrates “actions that match the gravity of our situation.”
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A coalition of City Council members who have described themselves as “the Kensington caucus” say they’re working to create a “triage” system for people who are unhoused and living with addiction in the neighborhood.
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All media interviews, social media posts, and public statements must be approved by Mayor Parker's communications team.
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Rosario is a captain in the city’s east detective division and says he’s worked in the Kensington community his “entire police career.”
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Philly’s strategy for solving violent crime relies on the public’s trust. The police killing of Eddie Irizarry, 27, threatens to strain that trust even more.
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On Tuesday night, more than 20 top City officials and residents testified about quality of life issues in Harrowgate and
