"Peace Mobile" hitting Philadelphia streets this fall to help prevent gun violence
After Camden, New Jersey, marked its first homicide-free summer in decades, city leaders say safety also appears to be improving in Philadelphia. Police report homicides are down nearly 16% this year, and violent crimes are down about 5%. Since Jan. 1, there have been 161 homicides and about 9,300 violent crimes.
Now, a new tool is hitting the streets to help keep those numbers moving in the right direction.
On Wednesday morning, the Father's Day Rally Committee unveiled the Peace Mobile, a 35-foot motor RV transformed into a first-of-its-kind outreach vehicle. The mobile unit will deliver trauma counseling and violence prevention services directly into neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence.
Organizers call it a "block-by-block" approach, part of the committee's 36-year mission of grassroots intervention across the city.
"We want to bring hope, healing and resources right to the families who need it most," said Bilal Qayyum, president of the Father's Day Rally Committee, as he walked reporters through the RV.
The Peace Mobile will serve as a counseling space, resource hub and community connector. Local partners and community groups are pledging their support to coordinate services as the unit travels through targeted neighborhoods.
City officials, including Chief Public Safety Director Adam Geer, Councilmember Anthony Phillips, Deputy Police Commissioner Myesha Massey, and G. Lamar Stewart from the District Attorney's Office, joined Qayyum for the unveiling at the Masjidullah parking lot in East Mount Airy.
The Peace Mobile is expected to begin making rounds in neighborhoods this fall.