The Triangle

Issue date: 10/24/08 Section: Ed-Op

Media Credit: MCT

Media Credit: David Swanson Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT Campus

Students choose Drexel for a variety of reasons, from being able to stay close to home, to scholarships, to wanting to be in a city environment. Philadelphia is notorious for many things - its sports teams, the "Rocky steps" at the art museum, the Liberty Bell. There are many advantages to living in the sixth largest city in the country, but lately these seem to be overshadowed a serious problem. Philadelphia's reputation as the "City of Brotherly Love" is no longer. Instead, it is ranked one of the highest in the nation, ahead of New York and Los Angeles, for its murder rate.

According an April 23, 2007 Associated Press article, former Philadelphia Mayor John Street was criticized for his lack of action in the face of so much violence and crime. Although Street pledged last year to have 1,000 community activists trained in conflict resolution with stricter juvenile curfews, it would seem he missed that mark.

The Associated Press called these efforts by Street "commendable," which they may have been; but in Philadelphia juvenile crimes are not the reason why the city's crime rate is so high. Most murders in Philadelphia are usually involving young adult black men, often over drugs but also sometimes what the Associated Press describes as "trivial insults" or "perceived slights."

While there is an inextricable link between drugs and murders, there are those crimes that do not seem to have any clear explanation. The alleged assault and robbery that occurred on our own campus last spring is a perfect example: a Drexel professor was allegedly punched and robbed in her office at Stratton Hall, as reported by The Triangle.

When we hear about robberies and assaults that occur late at night blocks from campus, we may feel compassion for the victims, but we aren't shocked or surprised. However, in this case what had formerly been thought of as a safe and academic environment suddenly became the scene of a crime.

According to The Triangle, Michael Gomez was arrested for the assault and robbery, as well as 17 others. What is most astonishing though was that Gomez was linked with another robbery at 2100 Cherry St. only hours after the assault and robbery of the Drexel professor. When Gomez went on his crime spree he apparently did not have time to waste.

Although this crime occurred right on our own campus many students do not feel unsafe.

"I don't feel uncomfortable walking around campus," Kristi Servais, a sophomore film major, said. "If you are walking somewhere unfamiliar always use the buddy system."

"On any Philadelphia campuses and Center City I feel very safe," Asher Weinstein, a junior film major, said.

However, students are not unaware of the city's overarching problem, either.

"Crime rates are high because of the impoverished conditions and rampant drug use," Weinstein said. "Another reason is because of the lack of police investigation when a crime is committed."

Weinstein admits that although he has never been a victim of a crime he did witness two men steal a bag out of a car in broad daylight.

As The Triangle has already reported, Drexel is taking action to make campus a safer place by forming a police force. Currently Drexel Public Safety does not have the power to arrest criminals and therefore must wait on the Philadelphia police.

So while Drexel seems to be taking the proper precautions, the root of this ongoing problem is still the citizens of Philadelphia themselves. Sometimes it seems as if the explanation is as simple as people just do not care. And in addition to the link between drugs and crime is the link to the lack of cleanliness around here. Philadelphia's new nickname right now should be "Filthadelphia." It's hard to expect citizens to care about their city and each other when such a basic need as cleanliness is not being met.

While the picture that has just been painted may seem grim and hopeless, Philadelphia is not a completely lost city. Change and improvement will probably be slow and steady and take years, but with Mayor Nutter, who seems to be more in tune with Philadelphia's problems then Street, we can get pointed in the right direction.

According to the Philadelphia Police Department's web site, in 2007 there were a total of 392 murders. As of Oct. 20 the count is 263 murders for 2008. Hopefully that number will not rise over last year's total before New Year's Day, so we can at least celebrate a slight decrease.



Hannah Alexander is a sophomore majoring in communications. She can be reached at op-ed@thetriangle.org.

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