Rebecca Rhynhart: Latest News

NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA - The leader of the Fraternal Order of Police is sharply criticizing the City Controller’s audit of the police department claiming it makes the leadership of the department appear as if, "…they can’t do anything right."The bombshell audit released yesterday by City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart found there are 640 fewer cops than five years ago. It revealed in a department of 6,000 officers, only 2,500 are on patrol and, stretched over 21 police districts, sometimes as few as 11 to 22 officers are on the street at any one time.In a late morning press conference, FOP President John McNesby said, "A lot of the stuff that’s in here, we’ve already been working to solve.

PHILADELPHIA - Voters in Philadelphia are determining who will likely lead the nation's sixth-largest city in a crowded field of Democratic candidates on Tuesday, as the city faces upticks in gun violence and quality-of-life issues that make people feel unsafe.Five front-runner candidates — including former city council members, former city officials and a grocery store franchiser — have sought to differentiate themselves in a tight contest.The Philadelphia race serves as the latest barometer of how residents of some of the nation’s largest cities hope to emerge from the pandemic, which heightened concerns about crime, poverty and inequality. The results have sometimes been tumultuous in other parts of the country, leading to the defeat of the incumbent mayor of Chicago in February and the ouster of San Francisco’s district attorney last year.Philadelphia voters will choose between front-runner candidates including former council members Allan Domb, Helen Gym and Cherelle Parker; former city controller Rebecca Rhynhart; and political outsider and grocer Jeff Brown.

PHILADELPHIA - In a city struggling with violent crime, the Philadelphia City Controller’s Office has found that there are fewer police officers now than in recent years. "In total, we have over 640 fewer officers available for duty than we had 5 years ago," City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart explained in an interview with FOX 29’s Jeff Cole. Of the 6,000 Philadelphia police officers, Rhynhart reports on 2,500 are assigned to patrol the city’s streets. Broken down of 21 police districts, the controller’s office found that number left just 11 to 22 cops on the beat at any one time - per district - in a department budgeted at more than 750 million dollars at the time of the review.PPD Uniform Officer Staffing Levels (Philadelphia Office of the Controller) "That amount of money, when it comes down to it, there’s only 11 to 22 officers at any given time per district," Rhyhart said. "That feels outrageous in a city that is overrun with gun crime. How has that happened, how has that gotten to be like that?" Cole asked. "What needs to happen is that every position needs to be looked at," Rhynhart replied. Rhynhart’s audit on police spending and practices came at the urging of City Council after Philadelphia was rocked by protests in the aftermath of the police-killing of George Floyd.So, why are there so few cops?Average Number of Officers on No Duty, Quarterly since FY 2009.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia city controller says about a fifth of the funding dedicated in this year's city budget to address gun violence will go to programs that could immediately stem the shootings, according to an analysis released Thursday.Controller Rebecca Rhynhart analyzed how the $155 million designated for what city officials called anti-violence initiatives is being spent.

City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart and City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier addressed ongoing gun violence Thursday.  PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia officials are continuing to call on Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney to declare a citywide gun violence emergency as the number of homicides in 2021 continues to climb.City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart and Councilmember Jamie Gautier issued a call for further action from the mayor's office in a letter sent Thursday. "Philadelphia is being held hostage by gun violence," the letter begins as they state that nearly 1,300 Philadelphians have been shot and 309 have been murdered, as of July 21. "If nothing changes, the city is on pace to eclipse more than 550 homicides in 2021 – a devastating record high," the