Philadelphia DA Krasner requests new funding in 2027 budget to fund prosecution efforts in the city

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With Philadelphia in the midst of budget season, District Attorney Larry Krasner laid out the funds his office is requesting for the new fiscal year, such as extra personnel to target repeat domestic violence offenders.

Krasner is asking for roughly $4.5 million in new funds for the 2027 fiscal year. During a news conference Monday, he said the amount of money his office is requesting is “minute” compared to Mayor Cherrell Parker’s proposed $6.9 billion budget.

“The entire [DA] budget is on the order of $50-60 million,” Krasner said. “What is that? One-tenth of 1% of the city’s budget to support 650 to 700 incredibly hard-working people.”

The office wants $1.1 million for more resources to go after repeat domestic violence offenders in the city. Katrina Wadas, the supervisor of the office’s Family Violence and Sexual Assault unit, said her staff currently consists of 19 others, including herself, with a caseload of more than 1,000.

“We hope … the city will support and continue to support initiatives that serve survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, with a goal of making the city a safer place for women and girls,” Wadas said.

Roughly $1.5 million would go toward efforts to prosecute Philadelphia’s street gangs, including funding to train more assistant district attorneys to take on cases. Earlier this year, the DA’s office announced plans to charge at least 19 people with a series of deadly shootings in South and Southwest Philadelphia, including members of the Young Bag Chasers, or YBC gang.

“We’re talking about permanently, or at least, for a very long time shutting down shooting groups in ways that have not happened traditionally in Philadelphia,” Krasner said.

In Krasner’s proposal, at least $884,000 would help hire additional detectives in investigations involving victims of economic crimes and senior abuse. Another $1 million would help the office’s technical services, including Microsoft Office subscriptions, additional equipment and its digital case management system.

City Council has until the fiscal year ends on June 30 to pass a city budget. Public hearings on next year’s plan will run through May 6.