The decline in homicides in Philadelphia last year didn't meet the ambitious goal Mayor Michael Nutter outlined when he took office but still showed a considerable drop.
Homicides were reduced by 15.3 percent last year, down from 392 in 2007 to 332 in 2008. Nutter had aimed for a 25-percent reduction.
Other crime statistics also saw improvements. The number of shooting victims decreased by 11.2 percent and violent crimes decreased 3.1 percent.
Nutter and police aim for further drops in 2009, but budget cuts across the city government may pose a challenge.
Last year's progress follows the implementation of Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey's crime fighting strategy last January.
This plan focused on the nine most violent of the 23 patrol districts and "targeted resources in those areas," Luke Butler, a spokesman for the mayor's office, said. The plan centered on intelligent policing, collaboration, prevention and continuous improvement
In 2008, those nine districts saw a 27.7-percent decrease in homicides as of Dec. 21, according to police statistics.
Ramsey increased the number of targeted patrol districts from nine to 12 for 2009, according to Lt. Frank Vanore, a Philadelphia Police spokesman. These three districts "were on the border of being part of the nine in the beginning," he said.
Nutter, who just finished his first year as mayor, ran for office on a campaign that promised to be tough on crime. In his inaugural address, he said, "There is nothing that is more devastating to the soul of Philadelphia than the killings and shootings that take place daily on our streets."
Upon taking office, Nutter asked Ramsey to submit a strategy for crime prevention to reduce homicides by 30 percent by 2010, with a 25-percent drop in his first year. He added also 248 additional police officers to the force.
Butler said the administration is still pleased with the result.
"The 25-percent target was a stretch goal. It was put there to strive toward," Butler said. "The 15-percent reduction last year was the biggest for a decade."
The goal for 2009 is to reduce homicides to fewer than 300, according to Vanore. The targets for the number of shooting victims and violent crimes are drops of 5 percent each. The goal for property crimes, which went up 1.3 percent in 2008, is a 10-percent decrease.
"All these goals [Ramsey] set are all contingent on being able to deploy these resources effectively," Vanore said.
The Philadelphia Police Department will try to achieve its 2009 goals with the looming threat of a budget deficit. Nutter recently asked all city departments, including the police department, to present budget scenarios of 10-percent, 20-percent or 30-percent cuts.
The department has already had to make some budget cuts, reducing overtime and closing the 92nd district, Vanore said.
A Dec. 17 report on balancing the department's 2009 budget said budget reductions should be made "through operational efficiencies" while minimizing "impact to core services" and maintaining the progress made in 2008.
"The budget deficit is clearly very serious," Butler said." But clearly public safety is one of the top priorities."
He said budget scenarios will be released in mid-February.
