The West Philadelphia community at 52nd and Arch streets have seen a reduction in crime after it has spent years plagued by it, write Hayden Mitman and Siobhan McGirl for NBC10 Philadelphia.
Geraldine Brown, who has lived in the neighborhood for years, noted that her community has been a crime hotspot.
However, a recent partnership with the police and the Philadelphia Community Outreach Committee has helped transform the community for the better.
“We have peace,” Brown said.
Through the partnership, the community outreach committee and Philadelphia’s police department worked to provide weekly patrols of the area.
This has helped pay huge dividends.
“You hear the gunfire. Everybody ducking down in their own homes, because you don’t know if a stray bullet is going to come in their homes. It was just so incredibly scary,” Brown said about the fear the community had previously felt over the years.
According to data found by NBC10, violent crime and drug offenses in the community have dropped 57 percent in the past five years.
This progress gives hope that the trend can continue in West Philly and a similar approach can be used in other Philly communities, as well.
Read more about how a notable crime-filled West Philly neighborhood has turned things around at NBC10 Philadelphia.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in August 2025.
