WHYY’s arts and culture reporter Peter Crimmins first became interested in radio in the fourth grade, when he smuggled a contraband crystal-diode radio into the Boy Scout summer camp. Subsequent radio projects were more successful.
Crimmins has been reporting on arts and culture for WHYY News since 2010, as well as filing award-winning radio and print stories locally and nationally. He started his career in the San Francisco Bay Area, cutting his teeth at community station KALX and producing syndicated radio programming for Ben Manilla Productions. He lives in Fishtown with his wife and two dogs.
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![krasner-vega Asked if his run for DA was a vendetta for being fired, Vega vigorously denied the idea. He had never before wanted to run for office, the former homicide prosecutor said, but the escalating murder rate in the city drove him into the political ring. “I see the numbers of murders that have been happening since [Krasner] took office. Just this past year, 499 murders,” Vega said. “As a father, a single dad, a person of color — we suffer the most. I decided to run for office.” Krasner countered that the rise in gun violence is not related to his policy reforms. “In 50 major U.S. cities last year the increase in gun violence was 42%. The increase in Philly is 40%, which is terrible, but what is happening is not unique to Philly,” Krasner said. “The FOP and their candidate — my opponent — are weaponizing a national tragedy.” Other issues got little air time, and there was little difference in the candidates’ responses. Each tread similar ground when asked about the opioid crisis in the Kensington neighborhood, saying aggressive prosecution of those living with addiction should be a low priority, with the city instead offering social services and diversionary programs to avoid criminal proceedings and jail time. Krasner also said his office has been working with the FBI on wiretapping investigations to identify and arrest major dealers and those involved in drug trafficking, though he declined to elaborate.](https://whyy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/krasner-vega-1-360x280.jpg)


