Security fear in the Center City have “calcified” despite falling crime rate

The post -pandemical recovery of the Center City is in full swing and its economic engine is in full strength in some fronts, as can be seen from a newly published report on the health of the district.

However, the concerns regarding security in the neighborhood remain a mistake in his public image, even if the crime rates decrease.

Bisnow/Sonya Swink

Safety concerns in Philadelphia's central business district exist despite a falling violent criminal rate according to a new report by the City City district.

Part I crime – A name that covers crimes such as rape, murder and serious bodily harm – In March in March, 10% fell by 10%, said Clint Randall, Vice President of the Center City District President for Economic Development Bisnow Wednesday.

The sums of the last year for the metric had also declined by 7% compared to 2019.

“This says that my children are safe on a risk-controlled basis in the Center City,” said CCD CEO Prema Katari Gupa.

But only 61% of the 5,000 people who reacted to CCD's new customer satisfaction last year felt safe in the neighborhood, of 76% in 2019, as the latest report by the Center Center City states.

This has an impact on the willingness to frequently conduct companies and spend time nearby.

“Immediately after the closure came into force, there were many experts who developed crisis stories,” said Guppa. “The disorder turned into these stories, of which we argue that they calculated and remained despite the specification of data.”

Despite the fears, walk in the Center City returned to 90% of the 2019 level in the last quarter. CCD counted almost 300,000 jobs in the neighborhood, including 22,000 additional previous years.

Greater Center City is the fastest growing residential area of ​​the city with 50,000 new units and 70,000 new residents since 1990. This is partly due to an influx of transplants from more expensive markets such as New York City and Washington, DC

But those who cannot afford living space showed up in the analysis of CCD and in the perception of security, although Gupta said that the city “grown a little tolerance towards our fellow citizens on the street”.

According to a points carried out by the city government, Center City was 376 of the homeless of Philadelphia in January 2024 in January 2024.

The homeless -Outreach teams of CCD helped 136 people who have access to resources on the street via its partner organizations, including the project house.

The city will only publish updated statistics later this year, but Gupta has an idea of ​​the direction in which direction it is moving.

“There was a little climb,” she said. “This number does not correlate with certainty.”

The presence of people without houses is nothing new in the Center City, but the well -being of the city's chronic homeless population has deteriorated in recent years with the rise of fentanyl, which can cause users in a stupor and xylazine, which can cause open wounds and abscesses.

“This drug is simply very dangerous,” said Alison Houghton, development and communication manager of Bethesda Project and Communication Manager, about the latter substance that reinforces the effects of opioids.

These types of health problems can be worrying for commuters and tourists, said the spokesman for the organization, which provides the notes in Philadelphians living space and other resources. But the aversion of the public against this population group sometimes comes from a place of uncertainty.

“We are probably just afraid of someone who may be different from us,” said Houghton. “Inside, there may be afraid that we will have the loss of our houses closer and lose our salary checks to become this millionaire or billionaire that everyone wants to be.”

There is no easy way to quickly accommodate Philly's chronic homeless people, especially since many are skeptical about the government and philanthropic programs to help them.

“I don't think there is a humane, ethical or good opportunity to do this only for the comfort of the visitors,” said Houghton.

But the symptoms that some commuters and visitors feel in the neighborhood still has a real weight, even if serious crime statistics are no longer in the Center City.

“Your experience on the street and about which your friends are talking about must match the positive data,” said Guppa.