Philadelphia has witnessed the largest reduction in gun violence among major U.S. cities so far this year, according to new data. The city experienced a nearly 16% drop in gun violence in April, surpassing the national decline of 13%.  The information was compiled by the independent policy group Center for American Progress, which highlighted that a four-month sample can be a reliable indicator of a yearly trend.  These findings align with an FBI analysis released this week, which reported a 15% decrease in violent crime across the United States from January to March, compared to the same period last year. The data was sourced from 72% of the nation’s law enforcement agencies that voluntarily submitted their statistics.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel expressed optimism about the trend. “We’re excited about the trend that we’re seeing,” Bethel told 6abc. However, he noted that with the onset of summer, caution is necessary to avoid overestimating the progress.  The Parker Administration employs a three-pronged approach to gun violence: Prevention, Intervention and Enforcement (PIE). Estelle Richman, executive director of the Civic Coalition to Save Lives, emphasizes that all three pieces are critically important to making the City safer. The Coalition supports community-based groups and programs that focus on Intervention, which research suggests can reduce gun violence in the near-term – in as few as 6-12 months.

At the end of 2023, homicides were down more than 20% in Philadelphia compared with the same period in 2022; to date, there has been a 38% decrease from 2023, according to data from the Philadelphia City Controller’s Office.

“The significant decrease in gun violence in Philadelphia is a testament to the collective work of the Philadelphia Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office and the community and faith-based organizations working everyday to make a tangible difference in our communities,” stated Estelle Richman. “We are encouraged by this progress and remain committed to supporting Intervention-based efforts to further this positive trend.”

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The Civic Coalition to Save Lives was established in November 2022 by the Philadelphia Foundation and the William Penn Foundation in partnership with Urban Affairs Coalition, The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Equity Alliance to help catalyze a broad civic effort to drive a focus on evidence-based and sustainable intervention strategies to reduce gun violence in Philadelphia.  Today, more than 100 CEO’s and organizations have signed on to support the coalition.  Read more and subscribe to the Coalition’s newsletter.