Williams seeking more funds for Philly DA office

Philadelphia’s district attorney came to City Council — hat in hand — asking for more money.

Saying that his budget has barely kept up with inflation, District Attorney Seth Williams said Tuesday he needs an increase of about 1 percent to run his department, which has lagged behind his criminal justice partners.

“I’m thankful that the mayor’s office has given us some money to increase our computer capabilities, that’s necessary,” he said, adding that it “just brings us up to 1990.”

Williams said his office is saving the city money through its crime prevention efforts.

“We’re trying to be smart on crime, to learn the difference between a bad guy and a guy having a bad  day,” he said. “But while the city saves dollars from these program, my office spends more time, more effort, more personnel than if we tried the underlying cases.”

Council is still considering budget requests from all city departments and offices.