Pennsylvania leaders tout wins in fight against gun violence in Chester
It's a community that has long been no stranger to violence. In fact, officials say, Chester, Pennsylvania, was once one of the most violent places in the country.
"Chester had one of the highest per capita murder rates, not in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but in the entire country," Gov. Josh Shapiro said Wednesday.
But over the last few years, state, county and city leaders say they've made a concerted effort to crack down on the violence plaguing Chester streets. It was in 2020 that they launched the Chester Partnership for Safe Neighborhoods.
Five years later, officials say they've made significant progress.
"That five-year run, and especially the success we've had this year, has made this the most-safe stretch we've had in the city of Chester literally in decades," Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said.
"Now hope is here in Chester," Mayor Stefan Roots said.
On Wednesday, officials provided new data on violent crime in Chester, specifically on gun-related incidents. Their numbers show that since 2020, gun homicides have fallen 74% in the city. Gun incidents, or shootings as Stollsteimer put it, were down 65% in that same span.
But the capper for many officials at Wednesday's press conference was the work done over notoriously violent summer months. Officials say this summer, they recorded zero gun homicides.
"It's absolutely incredible," Stollsteimer said, turning to reference a large posterboard with the statistics.
The district attorney says the partnership started shortly after he took office in 2020, when he called Shapiro, when he was attorney general, with the idea. It has since been funded, in part, by $2.6 million in grants from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
The initiative included assistance from the Attorney General's Office, Pennsylvania State Police, county and city leaders. Shapiro says Chester is now a place many Pennsylvania communities can look to and learn from.
"The city that nearly led the nation in per capita homicide rate is now a model for other cities and communities across Pennsylvania on how we can work together to reduce crime," Shapiro said.
The funding was used to help out with law enforcement initiatives. Leaders gave the example of creating an overtime detail within Chester police this summer and putting officers in high-crime areas to make their presence known.
But funding was also used for community initiatives like block parties, Stollsteimer says, and to assist organizations that help keep kids off the streets.
"That old saying: 'it takes a village to raise kids,' Derrick Billups with the Boys and Girls Club of Chester said. "And that's what's going on here in Chester."
The Boys and Girls Club is just one organization that's been involved with the effort. Billups says the funding has allowed them to expand their hours for kids. Instead of just being open on weekdays after school, they can now open their doors on Friday nights and Saturdays.
Billups says these organizations don't just give kids a safe space, but also teach them skills and bring opportunities to them.
"Everything from STEM to sports to gardening, cosmetology, arts and crafts, you name it. That's what we're going," Billups said.
While leaders celebrated the numbers, they know they have to keep it going. Roots says the city will be focused on data and ready to respond if it sees a spike again.
County and state officials also talked about creating economic opportunity in Chester, an area that Stollsteimer says has been plagued by job losses and factory closings.
Shapiro said he would return soon to discuss "economic development initiatives" planned for the area, but didn't provide any further details.
"We know that you deserve more, and we're going to be there for you every step of the way," Shapiro said.