In case city leaders have yet to realize that gun violence has reached epidemic proportions, consider the following: A 7-year-old boy was sitting in his bedroom playing video games Saturday night when he was shot in the thigh by a stray bullet from outside his home.
The shooting of a boy innocently playing in his bedroom should shake city leaders to their core and spark a full-throated call to action. So should the latest tally of weekend gun violence in Philadelphia: 21 people were shot between Saturday and Sunday.
At one point, the shootings were occurring minutes apart. An unidentified male was shot in the head at 12:21 a.m. on Sunday. Five minutes later, a 23-year-old man was shot in the back. Just 24 minutes later, a 59-year-old man was shot in the buttocks and left thigh.
The only thing more disturbing than the relentless pace of shootings that continues unabated across the city is the lack of action and outrage from those sworn to protect residents. What will it take for Mayor Jim Kenney, District Attorney Larry Krasner, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, and City Council to do something — anything — to try to stem the flow of blood?
Residents are on edge. Many are scared and angry. Now, children playing in their bedrooms are not even safe from gun violence.
Obviously, the current plan isn't working. There have been more than 1,500 shootings this year and 350 murders. The city is on pace to break last year's record of 562 homicides. By comparison, there were 246 murders in all of 2013.
When Kenney was last seen in early July pontificating on the nonstop gun violence, he said he would be happy when he was no longer mayor so he "can enjoy some stuff." In the less than two months since then, another 400 people have been shot and more than 80 people have been murdered.
To be sure, Philadelphia is not alone among American cities when it comes to the rise in gun violence. And the mayor, police commissioner, and City Council cannot single-handedly stop the shootings. Yes, mostly Republican lawmakers in Harrisburg, Washington, and the conservatives on the Supreme Court have aided and abetted the country's worsening gun crisis.
But that should not be a reason to give up. Or to continue relying on methods with low levels of effectiveness, like gun buybacks or reward money. Leadership and a sense of urgency are needed in Philadelphia.
Other cities have been more aggressive in implementing a comprehensive plan to combat gun violence that works. Dallas decreased its murder rate by 13% last year as well as recorded steep drops in other violent crimes. Unlike many other cities that beef up spending on police, Dallas lowered the murder rate while also arresting 11% fewer people.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia worked with criminologists at the University of Texas to craft a 29-page plan that increased patrols in targeted hot spot areas, while working with city agencies to address blight, lighting, park access, and homelessness.
Dallas also increased efforts to implement violence interruption programs that engage people at risk of perpetuating or being a victim of crime, while also seizing 27% more guns. Garcia credits the drop in crime with a two-pronged approach of using data and working with the community to build trust.
There are two takeaways from the success in Dallas: crime can be reduced and leadership matters. Real change begins with not tolerating a 7-year-old boy getting shot while playing a video game in his bedroom.
