UPDATE (10:15 p.m.): Unfortunately, we received another armed robbery report. A 24-year-old woman was robbed at knife point near 50th and Baltimore Sunday night, at around 8:30 p.m. The woman was walking home when an unknown man approached her from behind and demanded her purse. He was armed with a knife, according to police. He took the purse and ran away west on Baltimore Ave.
EARLIER: Police are searching for three armed men who robbed a 27-year-old woman at gunpoint Saturday night near 45th and Pine Streets. The robbery took place around 9:50 p.m. The men approached the woman, pushed her into a driveway, and pointed a handgun at her head, according to police.
The alleged robbers took the woman’s wallet and phone and ran off, according to police. She was not physically injured. The description of the suspects is not yet available.
December 21st, 2014 at 6:03 pm
the frequency of these events in have been increasing at an alarming rate in recent months in this part of West Philly. Does anyone know what’s going on?
December 21st, 2014 at 6:43 pm
I’m alarmed by all of these recent events in the neighborhood. I’ve lived in West Philly the past 4 years and always stand by my neighborhood when discussing different Philly neighborhoods with friends, but the past few weeks have even made me weary. I don’t want to worry every time I leave my apartment. Has there been any increased police or security presence in the neighborhood around the holidays, as every year this seems to happen about this time?
December 21st, 2014 at 7:02 pm
This has been my neighborhood for over 40 years. Crime waxes and wanes. The economy for people without much money hasn’t improved, and it only makes sense that crime has ticked up, particularly at this time of year.
This neighborhood was once not half as safe as it is now, and there weren’t any UCD safety people, nor even as many blue lights. It always pays to be cautious, even when there isn’t much activity. Be of good faith–it’s still a terrific place to live. Most of the perps have been captured, and the police will continue their good work.
December 21st, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Thanks for the positive thought, Hannah. I love living here, but it’s easy to become jaded with so much negative press lately. Are there any classes or information from PD on correct measure to take if you ever find yourself in a position of being assaulted or stopped? It would be good to learn what to do in the event of an unfortunate encounter to stay safe.
December 21st, 2014 at 7:36 pm
This recent increase of street crime in our neighborhood is intolerable. It’s up to all of us to figure out a way to combat it. First thing, I recommend attend the monthly Police Liaison meetings at Calvary Center hosted by Fran Byers. Second, all residents must hone our “street smarts” skills. We need to put away those smart phones when strolling at night. Third, we must insist on better police and UCD patrolling of the area.
December 21st, 2014 at 8:56 pm
Is there statistical evidence to suggest that crime is increasing? I haven’t seen anything to indicate an increase or decrease so all the above comments are really just conjecture.
December 21st, 2014 at 11:37 pm
Univ. City District and UPenn have a walking escort service. I’m going to put the number into my cell phone and use it.
“Need a walking escort to public transportation, home or a meeting? Call 215-898-WALK (9255) and a Public Safety Ambassador will be dispatched. This free service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania.”
I’ve also lived in the neighborhood for many years. It is so much safer than 10 or 15 years ago. I feel a little unnerved by this recent spat of attacks. In the past, it has helped to put pressure on the policing forces, schedule community safety meetings, etc. (If it continues.) But at least one attacker was caught. As Christmas/New Year’s approaches, be especially careful. So many folks have left the neighborhood for the Holidays. It creates easier targets for those looking to rob.
December 21st, 2014 at 11:37 pm
This neighborhood is safer then it’s ever been, but these things will happen. Keep calm and pay attention to your surroundings.
December 22nd, 2014 at 10:20 am
Are people really that oblivious as to what is going on less the a mile from where they are living? Maybe if people ventured past 50th st they would experience what’s going on in the real West Philadelphia…not condoning this type of behavior at all but people are living in extreme poverty and have little to no hope to find a sustainable job..not that it’s your responsibility to fix that just because you want to live in univeristy city but do recognize that it exist close to home. Its hard to have such a huge income gap within a mile radius and not expect the have nots to take from the people that they think have what they want..again in no way Am I condoning this just saying don’t act like its some mystery as to why this type of stuff occurs in Ucity.
December 22nd, 2014 at 10:55 am
Wakeup makes a good point. We live in a donut-hole of prosperity surrounded by poverty on nearly every side. Crime will happen. We must be aware of our surroundings and make good decisions about how we navigate our neighbourhood. I often see women walking dogs late nights/early mornings. I also see them running alone before the sun rises as I’m on my way to the office. These kinds of activities may be ‘normal’ in the areas we came from, but we are in the city now and have to behave accordingly.
December 22nd, 2014 at 2:08 pm
For those wondering about the uptick: many of us work longer shifts or overtime this time of year as we scrape together money to buy gifts for friends and family. I know I don’t need to remind you that folks who live in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty are completely slapped away from the ability to do this, due to a system which criminalizes poverty. So, while they’ll always have a harder time buying warm winter coats for their families, it is, (like it is for us but moreso) especially enervating this time of year collecting enough money for the holidays. Even if you’re buying your gifts at Smile Dollar. All this will certainly equal the occasional theft.
But let’s think about this more deeply: as of 12/17, the Federal Reserve reported record levels of income inequality. You’re literally reading about the effects of this right now! And what we can do about it is this: recognize how we benefit in this current economic system, and listen to calls about replacing it with a more humane one.
December 22nd, 2014 at 2:30 pm
Suggesting that armed robbery is an inevitable consequence of income inequality strikes me as an insult to those working people–the overwhelming majority–who are not out terrorizing people at gunpoint. It’s also beyond patronizing to suggest that in order to be a decent human being–i.e. not commit armed robbery–you somehow have to be middle-class (I come from a long line of working-class people who have behaved a hell of a lot better than most of the middle and upper class people I know).
Here’s an idea: don’t rob people with a weapon. That statement shouldn’t require caveats, qualifications, or exemptions. Income inequality is a serious issue that needs to be addressed, but it strikes me as, at best, intellectually lazy to link it to crimes like this.
December 22nd, 2014 at 2:48 pm
Let’s not romanticize armed robbery. Shoplifting food and clothing may be the stuff of Robin Hood, but targeting young women alone at night is not. There are plenty of women with children living in poverty in this city, in desperate need of money, so why are the vast majority of muggers young men?
December 23rd, 2014 at 11:08 am
On a side note, given the inverse relationship that currently seems to exist between income inequality and violent crime–income inequality is at record highs, and violent crime is at record lows–you might want to think before positing some inevitable causal relationship between the two. After all, if I applied your logic–inevitable causal relationship between income inequality and crime–to the current facts–inverse relationship between income inequality and crime, I would be left with one of two conclusions:
1) The best way to reduce violent crime is to increase income inequality.
2) The best way to reduce income inequality is to increase violent crime.
Since neither of those slogans seems particularly appealing, it might be best to think before you argue for a simple relationship between two enormously complex historical phenomena (income inequality and crime). Failing to do so means that you forfeit credibility, and in the process, harm an important cause like the campaign to reduce income inequality (though it may be naive to think that credibility means anything in today’s environment in which stupid slogans on the left answer stupid slogans on the right).
December 23rd, 2014 at 2:07 pm
Hi, thanks for your comments. While I agree that income inequality is a complex issue, it is most emphatically tied to crime. A quick search of “income inequality and crime” or “income inequality and robbery” on a reputable database such as the National Criminal Justice Reference Service gives you some useful information. One of the many good points I’d like to highlight is that countries which enjoy a more equitable distribution of resources due to strong socialist parties or social democracies, have less crime (in the case of this abstract, [http://ph.ly/v76], homicide). And look, getting robbed is awful. No would excuse or wish it upon anyone, especially on one of our neighbors. It’s simply helpful in this situation to consider root causes.
December 23rd, 2014 at 2:31 pm
Criminals do not fear Philadelphia’s court system so they will continue to rob, steal, and kill. Until there is stricter prosecution of these low lives, things won’t change.
December 24th, 2014 at 6:37 pm
Since Income equality will come to be in 2057…….. The cops need to do a better job now
December 25th, 2014 at 4:57 am
Walk with confidence, get your concealed carry permit (exceedingly easy to do in this state) and return the responsibility for your safety to who it belongs to, YOU! Common sense helps too. West philly isn’t the safest place in the world to live, let’s be honest. Accept that fact and act accordingly.
December 25th, 2014 at 11:43 am
So, Dabeed… From what I gather, you are recommending a return to the wild west… Seems silly to take a simple robbery and escalate it to a possible homicide. Most of us can weather getting robbed. What’s a few weeks of tightening your belt and a few hours of phone calls when compared to hospital trip from a gunshot wound, or even worse, a funeral?
Escalation is not the answer. You carry a gun and next time they aren’t going to show you theirs to warn you, they are going to shot first. There is no need for an arms race.
Be vigilant, but be reasonable and safe. Every situation is better when there is one reasonable person. If your on the other end of the robbery, its your responsibility to be the reasonable one…
Solutions for the uptick and robberies are a dime a dozen and none have proven completely effective. I have no other suggestions. Just be smart and hope that if it happens to you, you make off without any physical wounds. If you’ve chosen to live in west Philly, I hope you’ve got the fortitude to heal the wounds to your ego.
December 28th, 2014 at 1:02 pm
I’m getting out of this neighborhood a.s.a.p.
December 28th, 2014 at 3:49 pm
LOL at Strongforu! If they weren’t women they’d be safe? Women are most likely to be victims of violence at the hands of an intimate partner, but nobody laments the risks when people get married!
December 29th, 2014 at 2:33 pm
For whatever reason, people seem to excuse robberies because there’s some underlying economic reason for the action. Yeah, no shit. Wealthy people typically don’t go around robbing people at gunpoint. That’s not the issue. Armed robbery is theft by armed means, and armed means implies a fatal use of force against the victim. If that were not the case, it would be larceny. It doesn’t matter what is being stolen, whether it had a $1 or $1000 value. It’s the fact that someone is potentially willing to kill you over some (probably paltry) material possession. Even if you fully comply, you still might get shot. So in light of that, no I have no sympathy for armed robbers, or whatever happens to them. And to all of the hand-wringing apologists out there: shut up. No one want to hear your enablist bullshit.
December 30th, 2014 at 4:47 pm
One thing to consider is that robberies always increase around the holidays (Christmas). The main reason is that people often walk around carrying more cash on them during this time while they are doing holiday shopping.
People looking to rob will always go to where there will be more potential victims. So every year there will be a bunch of robberies in the residential areas from 45th – 48th north of Baltimore Ave, south of Walnut. Of course it happens in other places I’m not trying to discount those incidents at all. It just happens every year.
In fact, it happened to me last year right before Christmas. Two teenagers pulled a .22 on me around Larchwood and 45th, luckily my strategy of ignoring them and walking away worked as I was able to get away unmolested and called 911. (Kids later pistol-whipped someone at 45th and Spruce but were quickly apprehended by summoned police).