These buildings are all of post-war construction and are adequate to meet existing and proposed staffing needs as long as they are maintained adequately and renovated periodically to meet modern standards.

Table 22

Arrests for major offenses have followed a somewhat different track. After holding essentially steady for most of the eighties, arrests increased in 1987 and 1988, and then fell again from 1988 through 1991. The number of arrests remained constant in 1992 and fell slightly in 1993. Here too, West Philadelphia mirrors the City-wide experience. The percentage of major crime cases "cleared" (where all suspects have been arrested or the cases closed) in Philadelphia was 26% in 1992, as compared to the national average of 21%. According to the F.B.I., Philadelphia has had the lowest crime rate of the 10 largest cities for several years.

Proliferation of Crime
Despite these statistics, it appears to many West Philadelphians that the number of crimes has increased in recent years and that crime has become more visible and more violent. Broken automobile glass litters many streets and empty crack vials are not uncommon. The rise in crimes associated with the drug trade and drug use are of particular concern. Juvenile crime is perceived to be growing. Auto theft and other crimes directed against property are also frequent and troubling. Crime control is clearly a major problem in West Philadelphia.

Preventing Crime
Without the active participation of the West Philadelphia community, the police are not likely to make significant inroads in preventing crime. They are, however, beginning to use new techniques which stress community involvement to prevent crime and to apprehend criminals. Increased information gathering, more contact with residents and more knowledge of the community all contribute to more effective prevention efforts.

Police Initiatives
The Police Department is now carrying out the provisions of its "1991-1996 Strategic Plan," which features a number of innovative approaches to address the complex and troubling nature of crime in the City. The provisions include measures to focus the Department more on local communities and to decentralize many of the operations of the Department.

Motorized patrols, rapid response to calls for assistance and retrospective investigation of crimes are helpful, but they are insufficient strategies to staunch the rise in crime. The Police Department has begun to implement "state of the art" measures to complement these traditional police procedures. "Community Policing", or "Problem-Solving Policing", is an attempt to provide an enhanced police presence, better surveillance of known offenders, and increased access to information, all of which have been shown to reduce crime.

An example of enhanced police presence is the storefront mini-station. It provides a locale where community and police concerns can be aired, information exchanged, and problems solved. The mini-stations supplement the often distant and anonymous police station.

Another initiative that will enhance Police visibility is the Police Department's plan to decentralize a number of its functions, such as narcotics control, to the districts. The "Local Intensive Narcotics Enforcement" (LINE) program is operating in the 18th District. This will result in staff from the District Attorney's Office and more officers being stationed in the neighborhoods and addressing community needs.

The Community's Role
The first line of defense against crime in any community is the community itself. By working with troubled youth, supporting programs that strengthen the family and creating "Town Watch" patrols, residents of West Philadelphia are helping to limit crime. Many local communities participate in the Town Watch program.

An expansion of the more traditional Town Watch programs has been developed in recent years by communities who have organized to combat the drug problem in their neighborhoods. Mantua Against Drugs, Cedar Park Against Drugs and Walton Neighbors Against Drugs are some of the community based organizations that have been formed to address this problem. In addition, there is an increasing willingness to cooperate with the police in their prevention and ongoing law enforcement activities. Efforts to increase these collaborations should continue.

Prevention Programs
Almost any program designed to assist children and their families can be construed as a crime prevention program. This is a recognition of the fact that strong families and local institutions strengthen the social fabric of the community and discourage crime and anti-social behavior. Thus, a renewed focus on community based institutions, including education, health, economic and social welfare programs, can supplement more direct police efforts to control crime.

Identifying high risk youth and chronic offenders, and developing programs to address their needs, should be a high priority. Employment and job training programs should also be strongly supported. Finally, steps should be taken to deter crime through incorporating defensible space concepts such as security lighting and visible entry ways in new developments, and the retrofitting of existing structures to incorporate these features.

The Criminal Justice System
Policing is one component of the criminal justice system, which also includes the courts, jails and prisons and probation. The courts are overburdened; the prisons are over-capacity; and the probation system is over-worked. In addition, the juvenile justice system is under strain. These conditions result not only in high societal costs, but in inefficiencies which result in higher crime. West Philadelphians, along with the rest of the City, must support the comprehensive criminal justice system planning process now under way and the improvements proposed.

Goal
The Police Department should initiate new programs and intensify existing programs to prevent crime.

Objectives

• The Police Department should expand Community Policing as set forth in its Strategic Plan as expeditiously as possible;
• The Police Department and the District Attorney's Office should continue to decentralize functions to the neighborhoods, such as the LINE program in West Philadelphia;
• The Police Department should increase levels of trust and contact between the police and citizens by increasing the numbers of mini-stations, where police-community relationships can be initiated and nurtured.

Objectives

• The Police Department should support efforts to increase the number of Town Watch programs in West Philadelphia;
• The Police Department and other City agencies should provide technical assistance to community groups in their effort to prevent crime, such as advice on incorporating defensible space concepts in existing structures and planned developments.
• The City should support groups that focus on at-risk youth, such as the Police Athletic League and the Crime Prevention Association.

Objectives

• The City should make youth employment, education, dropout prevention programs and job training the highest priority.
• The City should proceed as quickly as possible with the initiatives described in other sections of this part of the Plan, e.g., health care and education, to strengthen the West Philadelphia community.

Objectives

• The City should support criminal justice planning activities to achieve a cost-effective system;
• The City should provide alternatives to incarceration for as many youthful offenders as is practicable.