Erica Atwood: Latest News

PHILADELPHIA - Officials on Wednesday made their final stop on a two-month listening tour in troubled Philadelphia communities where concerned residents connected with law enforcement leaders on ways to quell violence. The Community Listening Tour initiative was spearheaded by the Office of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for Criminal Justice & Public Safety. The goal of the tour was to visit 10 different neighborhoods besieged by crime and violence to hear from community members and exchange ideas.The listening tour also gave people a chance to learn about the Philadelphia's violence prevention work, which is likely due for some adjustments following the conclusion of the initiative. "I won’t know how many tweaks we’ll do until I get an opportunity to really hear and see, but there will be some at least shifts or pivots related to the Roadmap to Safer Communities that will be informed by this process," Senior Director of Criminal Justice and Public Safety Erica Atwood said.Philadelphia recently confirmed plans to expand its Community Crisis Intervention Program with more staffing.

PHILADELPHIA - Members of Philadelphia's Kingsessing neighborhood gathered Monday to share ideas about ways to combat the scourge of gun violence plaguing the city. Philadelphia's Office of Policy and Strategic Initiative for Criminal Justice and Public Safety continued their Roadmap to Safer Communities initiative Friday night by hosting an open floor meeting at Francis J. Meyes Recreation Center. Members of Philadelphia's Kingsessing neighborhood gathered Monday to share ideas about ways to combat the scourge of gun violence plaguing the city.  The hope is to reduce gun violence by finding solutions from within communities through four goals or strategies: Connecting to and helping you thrive, Coordinating city services and planning, creating strong community engagement and partnerships, and safer and healthier neighborhoods. "What do they need more of? What are some things they see missing in the community?" Senior Director of Criminal Justice and Public Safety Erica Atwood said.

PHILADELPHIA - Residents fed up with gun violence in their neighborhoods sat down with city officials Tuesday night in North Philadelphia to share ideas on what could save lives as the gun violence crisis worsens. "If we don’t continue to stay on track and recognize what are the issues that are kind of the root causes to the violence that we are seeing, we are never going to come out of this," Senior Director of Criminal Justice and Public Safety Erica Atwood said. Tuesday's meeting was the third stop on a citywide listening tour that supports the City’s Roadmap to Safer Communities initiative that supports a comprehensive gun violence reduction plan. North Philadelphia in particular has dealt with a number of recent shootings, including a 15-year-old boy who police say opened fire on a car full of girls and was later linked to two other shootings involving teens as young as 14. Temple University's police union recently admitted that it's operating at 60% of its normal workforce and officers have worked at least 42 overtime shifts since last summer. The department believes the staffing crisis is impacting the safety of Temple's campus. The union says it's operating at 60% of its typical workforce and each officer has worked about 42 overtime shifts since last July.