Neighbors help neighbors to cut down on drug activity in West Philly

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The simple act of neighbors taking a walk is making a dent in reducing drug activity in West Philly, city leaders say.

Accompanied by police, community members who live near 52nd and Market streets have been walking around the neighborhood together, talking to drug dealers and telling them they aren’t wanted in the area.

The city offers help with extra services, including more cameras to catch dealers, better lighting to keep people from lurking in the shadows and other social services.

Mayor Cherelle Parker visited the neighborhood Thursday morning to compliment the neighbors on their hard work.

“You want to stop violence, give a man or a woman a reason to go to bed every night, to wake up in the morning to go to a job, to take care of their homes and take care of their families,” Parker said.

The effort, coordinated with the Philadelphia Community Outreach Corporation, also includes block cleanups and, in some cases, eliminating electrical service the dealers use to keep their phones charged and run speakers that play music to attract people to their operations.

Pete Wilson helped establish the outreach group more than 10 years ago to coordinate the community’s effort to reduce crime. He said the neighborhood patrols send a message to those who want to circumvent the law.

“We’re not here to lock you up. We’re here to wake you up. You’re killing your people, you’re destroying your community. Put the guns down, young people. Pick the door to success not failure, life not death,” he said.

“They report nuisance issues and talk to the folks selling drugs, to encourage them to find work, and to offer resources,” said City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier. “The police serve as their close partners, providing safety for the weekly patrols, enforcing the law and, likewise, letting the young men know the consequences of continuing to sell on the block.”

State Sen. Vince Hughes, D-Philadelphia, said city leaders are pouring money into grassroots organizations that are working at the neighborhood level to stop the drug trade where they live.

“If you want to reduce crime and negative behavior in a community, you invest in that community. You put resources in that community and you listen to the community,” Hughes said. “That’s how you reduce crime in communities and that’s how you turn the light on in communities and breathe life into those communities, so they can see a different outcome, so they can see a different way.”