Seth Williams open his first neighborhood DA’s office

    Before he became District Attorney, Seth Williams promised to establish neighborhood offices for city prosecutors to increase their connection to communities. He delivered on that promise with the first office, which opened in Northern Liberties on Tuesday.

    On Tuesday Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams cut the ribbon on the city’s first Community Action Center in Northern Liberties.  The gentrified community has struggled with safety concerns stemming from a few high-profile murders.

    The new center is nestled among the apartments, restaurants and shops at the Piazza at Schmidts, which has become somewhat of a town square for the revitalized neighborhood.

    Williams says the center is more than just an outreach effort. It will be a meeting place for residents to get to know his staff and provide tips that could help law enforcement and prosecutors.

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    “We’re going to work with the police, the probation officers, and the community where they are,” Williams says. “We can’t solve the problems in the Ivory Tower, we have to go out to the community and work with the community and that will break down the barriers that have far too long existed between law enforcement and the public.”

    Williams says he hopes to open similar centers in other parts of the city.

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