Accountability
Women incarcerated near Cahill at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center said “the banging was so loud that people couldn't sleep."
By Emily Rizzo & Jillian Bauer-Reese
Kids in Kensington
Engaging with people who deal drugs is key to breaking up Kensington’s open-air drug market, but city leaders have overlooked this population while creating new law enforcement strategies for the neighborhood, says Ride Free.
By Sammy Caiola
Accountability
Cahill, a mother of two sons, was one of 34 people arrested for narcotics violations and outstanding warrants in a coordinated police sweep under Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Kensington initiative.
By Emily Rizzo & Sammy Caiola
Accountability
Police arrested 34 people for “narcotics violations,” including drug paraphernalia and possession, as well as outstanding warrants
By Emily Rizzo & Sammy Caiola
Accountability
Philly police ordered overdose vigil volunteers to move their tables from their setup near McPherson Square Library down to the street.
By Sammy Caiola
Accountability
The police oversight agency, known as CPOC, was created by a city ordinance in 2021 to improve transparency and accountability in policing.
By Sammy Caiola
Accountability
The cleanup was organized by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) “in conjunction with staff from the City of Philadelphia,” according to a PennDOT spokesperson.
By Emily Rizzo
Community Life
The event was hosted by District 7 Councilmember Quetcy Lozada's office.
By Solmaira Valerio
Accountability
The rally took place a few days after the first anniversary of Irizarry’s death near the intersection of Willard and Lee streets, where a former Philadelphia police officer shot him.
By Alayna Hutchinson
Accountability
During an exclusive interview on WHYY’s live talk show Studio 2, Mayor Cherelle Parker discussed policing Kensington’s open-air drug market and said the May 8 encampment sweep didn’t go exactly as planned.
By Emily Rizzo
Housing & Shelter
Streets were closed from Kensington Avenue to Emerald Street and Orleans to Somerset streets.
By Jillian Bauer-Reese & Sammy Caiola
Government & Policy
Police leaders and prosecutors provided additional details about the incident during a news conference Monday at PPD headquarters.
By Jack Tomczuk, Metro Philadelphia
Guides & Resources
A very long chart for a very long process.
By Jillian Bauer-Reese & Sammy Caiola
Accountability
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.
By Sammy Caiola & Jillian Bauer-Reese
Los nuevos oficiales trabajarán en tres turnos y cubrirán el vecindario las 24 horas del día. La mayoría de los oficiales patrullarán el vecindario a pie, y algunos estarán en bicicletas.
By Emily Rizzo
Accountability
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.”
By Jillian Bauer-Reese & Sammy Caiola
Accountability
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%.
By Emily Rizzo
Accountability
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.
By Emily Rizzo
Accountability
Some residents feel safer, while others say the spillover from the sweep and increased police presence has caused problems on side streets.
By Jillian Bauer-Reese & Sammy Caiola
Accountability
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
By Sammy Caiola
Accountability
When outreach workers arrived, the people staying in tents and structures on the 3000-3100 blocks of Kensington Avenue were gone.
By Emily Rizzo & Sammy Caiola
Accountability
No city social services were present when police dispersed the encampments despite promises from city leaders that the initiative would be “service-led.”
By Sammy Caiola & Emily Rizzo
Accountability
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.
By Sammy Caiola