'Predator's playground': Former addict says Philadelphia drug market 'worse' despite city clearing efforts

  • 📰 FoxNews
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 66 sec. here
  • 3 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 30%
  • Publisher: 87%

Nederland Nieuws Nieuws

Nederland Laatste Nieuws,Nederland Headlines

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker is cracking down on drug dealing and other crime in the city's Kensington neighborhood. One former addict worries it won't last.

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.

Wij hebben dit nieuws samengevat zodat u het snel kunt lezen. Bent u geïnteresseerd in het nieuws, dan kunt u hier de volledige tekst lezen. Lees verder:

 /  🏆 9. in NL
 

Bedankt voor uw reactie. Uw reactie wordt na beoordeling gepubliceerd.

Nederland Laatste Nieuws, Nederland Headlines

Similar News:Je kunt ook nieuwsberichten lezen die vergelijkbaar zijn met deze die we uit andere nieuwsbronnen hebben verzameld.

Philadelphia mayor signs bill banning bump stocks days after Supreme Court rulingPhiladelphia's mayor signed legislation on Tuesday that prohibited bump stocks from being used, manufactured, or sold in the city.
Bron: dcexaminer - 🏆 6. / 94 Lees verder »

Philadelphia Mayor Parker signs 3 public safety bills, including ban on bump stocksThe bill comes on the heels of several high-profile shootings involving devices that effectively turn a gun into a fulling automatic weapon.
Bron: 6abc - 🏆 250. / 63 Lees verder »