Philly homicides have dropped 37% since 2021

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Philadelphia is expecting to end 2024 with the lowest number of homicides in a decade, but officials say that’s still not good enough and vow to bring the numbers down even further.

Mayor Cherelle Parker has shown up on several occasions this year at locations where multiple shootings have occurred, most recently in mid-December after three young people were shot in Dilworth Park.

Her mantra has remained the same.

“Every shooting and homicide in Philadelphia personally pains me as your mayor and my administration,” she said. “It pains me because every homicide victim was somebody’s son, brother, father, uncle, daughter, sister, mother, and aunt. These are human beings that we are talking about, and not statistics.”

More than a year ago, Parker campaigned to become Philly’s 100th mayor on a promise to reverse the skyrocketing murder numbers.

“The foundation that I committed to you as mayor, would be that we would make public safety our number one priority,” she said. “The public health and safety of all Philadelphians will become our number one priority, and we would not be afraid to make the tough decisions that are necessary to bring some order back to our city.”

As 2024 comes to a close, homicides are down in the city by 37% this year compared to last year. The number of overall shootings is similarly down, with 36% fewer incidents compared to last year.

According to the city controller’s office website that tallies shooting incidents, Philadelphia had 847 nonfatal and 220 fatal shooting victims as of Dec 25, 2024. That’s well below the 1,291 nonfatal and 375 fatal shooting victims in 2023 and far less than 2021, which saw 1,831 nonfatal and 506 fatal shooting victims.

Parker’s pick for police commissioner, Kevin Bethel, is getting much of the credit for the declining numbers. Bethel, a former deputy police commissioner, was a career police officer who worked his way up the ranks and lost out for the top cop position until Parker selected him while he was leading the school district’s police force.

He said the men and women who patrol the streets are doing a good job.

“When I came on board, the mayor gave us a charge. They gave the department a charge to reduce the level of violence we’re seeing across the city,” Bethel said. “We’re having one of the best years we’ve had in over a decade. The numbers of violent incidents and the numbers of shootings are aligned with what we saw back in 2014. It wasn’t too long ago when we saw almost 560-plus homicides, and we’ve cut that number in half.”

As the total number of homicides and shootings shows dramatic improvement, the city’s Chief Public Safety Officer Adam Geer urges the public not to define Philadelphia by some outbursts of violence.

“What does define us is the fact that we came together, we will continue to come together, we will continue to support each other,” Geer said. “That’s what we do in Philly … that’s what we do and that’s what we are going to do for communities moving forward.”

Geer attributes the decline in violence to more youth programs that have been made available this year, including the expansion of the Group Violence Intervention Initiative.

“In this administration, we love work. We are here to continue to do whatever we can day in, day out. As our folks will do today, tonight, tomorrow and the rest of the time we have in order to bring about safety to our neighborhoods, that is what we’re all about.”

Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner also believes the city can do better. His office has used confiscated funds from drug dealers to provide microgrants to small groups to help offer recreational opportunities and other help for at-risk young people.

“We are united in things that are working and yes, it is not just one thing. It is not just enforcement. It is prevention. It is intervention, it is this collaboration,” Krasner said.

He said all the city resources are working together to ensure people pay for their crimes.

“We will not stop, we will not delay, we will not slow down.”

Mayor Parker said reducing crime requires a holistic effort. A group effort is necessary to help make Philadelphia a better place with fewer violent incidents. She said it’s not just up to elected officials, police and prosecutors; parents and caregivers must also play a part.

“Putting people on a path to self-sufficiency, and I’m not just talking about our young people. I’m talking about their caregivers and their parents,” Parker said. “Giving them access to employment, or a career opportunity where they can earn a living wage, retirement, security, and health care that helps stabilize as a family.”

She said it’s that “family stability” that is key to continuing to lower the rate of homicides and shootings in Philadelphia in the new year ahead.

This story is a part of Every Voice, Every Vote, a collaborative project managed by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. The William Penn Foundation provides lead support for Every Voice, Every Vote in 2024 and 2025 with additional funding from The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, Comcast NBC Universal, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Henry L. Kimelman Family Foundation, Judy and Peter Leone, Arctos Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, 25th Century Foundation, and Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation.

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