South Philadelphia residents relieved after police shut down alleged theft ring on Wolf Street

Some South Philadelphia residents are relieved after they say police shut down a theft ring on their block. 

The house on Wolf Street is now completely boarded up. The windows are cemented shut, and inside is stacked with cinderblocks.

"It was like mountains of weight just lifted," one neighbor said. 

Neighbors said it's been a long time coming. They believe the people who lived in this home were squatters. They say they were operating a theft ring and stealing and stashing packages from the neighborhood.

Now, neighbors said police shut it all down and asked the people inside to leave.

"They are so happy now that they can walk down the street and not have to worry," Anthony Giordano said. 

Giordano, the founder of the Facebook group "Stand-up South Philly and Take Our Streets Back," said this was all about quality of life, and that's why they all fought hard.

Neighbors put up a good fight. They organized a rally and kept pushing for action. 

"Every neighborhood you should be able to feel safe outside of your house and not have to worry about low lifes and thugs coming up stealing things that you work hard for," Giordano said. 

Neighbors said they had enough of the crime and they wanted their streets to feel safe again and that determination fueled them. 

Giordano and neighbors said it was a team effort as they worked with police and each other. 

"Everybody came together and that's great. That is what South Philly is, everyone coming together," one neighbor said.