Dozens of new police officers are hitting the streets of Philadelphia's most notorious neighborhood, promising to crack down on drug dealing, prostitution and other crimes. But one man who used to deal and use drugs in the area worries the effort won't last. 'They're just taking the trash from the front of the house and moving it to the side,' Frank Rodriguez said. 'It's more for show and grandstanding than addressing the core issues.
You can't walk or look anywhere around there and not be emotionally bothered by what you see,' Rodriguez told Fox News Digital. 'You smell rotting flesh. You see people with holes in their limbs.' Years of failed efforts to crack down on lawlessness and tent encampments have frustrated many locals, and cleaning up the neighborhood was a pillar of the most recent mayoral race.
Troops haven't materialized yet, but Parker's administration has taken numerous other steps, such as appointing the first-ever Kensington drug czar, signing a curfew into effect for businesses without liquor licenses in a portion of the neighborhood and sending police to sweep one major homeless encampment, according to local media reports. And 75 new police recruits sworn in last month were specifically assigned to patrol Kensington.
Rodriguez said he's definitely seen a 'ramp up in police presence' since Parker took office in January, yet 'the problem's gotten worse.' 'We're not dealing with 20 people. We're not dealing with 100 people. We're dealing with thousands of people,' he said. Rodriguez added that he worries Kensington will be a rough beat for rookies. 'I don't think it's the place for new officers,' he said.
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