Following the examples of South Philly and Fairmount/Brewerytwon I decided to make a single sticky thread for discussing West Philly Crime issues on the blog so there is a single thread going into the future. I'll leave the various incident related threads in place, but I think it might be useful to keep discussions of particular incidents all in a single thread going into the future.

Opinions? If people don't like the idea, we can always change it.

Good idea. I think we all need to be aware of any crime issues that go on in the neighborhood. Ever since I got mugged, the issue with crime in UC has become an interest of mine.

Being a freshman at Drexel, I think I'd get some use out of the thread. It never hurts to be informed and educated.

Got my car window smashed on 43rd street between Spruce and Locust. This happened on August 6.

Apparently whoever did it thought they would find something interesting in a box of junk I had in my trunk. They ended up just taking a pair of faded, oily, disgusting shorts that I used for working on my car.

I got my window replaced but they bent up my door frame trying to use a prybar or something. I guess the prybar wouldn't work so they ended up throwing a brcik through the window. ****in scum.

Dumb us - we parked our moped on our front lawn of the 5000 block of Osage, went inside for a while, came out and it was gone!

It looks like this:
http://moped2.org/asp/pic.asp?url=/d...olex/black.jpg

It happened around noon today. It's complicated enough that most 13 year olds wouldn't know how to start it but is easy to pedal. We're offering a $100 reward in case you find it in your yard or see someone riding around on it and want to be bold...

Suggestions about where it might end up (such as pawn shops) would be good...

Do mopeds have VIN numbers? You reported it stolen right?

I think he got the moped back, at least according to an email that went around on an email list.

Yah - we got it! The guy had tried to sell it to one of the local bike shops and an eagle eye had seen our signs before the guy came in.

The bike is less than 50cc so it doesn't have a VIN.

Everything makes sense again (tongue in cheek).

I just posted this in the general University City area, but just saw the Crime area, so I'll try here too. My car was stolen last night from between 44th and 45th on Osage in U City. It's a 1997 dark green Honda Civic with beige cloth interior. PA license tag is GBM 1046. Distinguishing features include an EZPass transponder mounted to the right of the rear view mirror, and a broken license plate holder on the front bumper, also a red and black leaf air freshener on the rear view. Tires are Futura. I'll gladly reward anyone providing info leading to the recovery of this car (in good condition) $500 cash. I have no collision/comprehensive insurance, so I'm really screwed if nobody can help. I already filed a police report, but they said that my chances of someone I know spotting it are as good as them finding it. PLEASE, keep your eye out for the features I mentioned, and post if you see it. Also, to make sure it's the right car - it's got a manual transmission, and a baseball glove in the back seat.

Thank you.

Arrests made in U. City assaults
Group charged with assault, robbery; four accomplices suspected
By andrew whitney
September 14, 2005



Penn and Philadelphia Police officers worked together to make four arrests in connection with two related assaults -- one of which involved a robbery -- that occurred early Monday evening to the west of campus.

At about 7:40 p.m., local residents approached patrol officers at the intersection of 43rd and Pine streets and told them that a group of men was attacking another man nearby at the intersection of 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue.

When police arrived at the scene, they found only the victim, a 24-year-old Penn graduate student whom a group of assailants had assaulted. The victim gave rough descriptions of his attackers to officers, who then sent out a "flash report," broadcasting those descriptions to other police in the area.

Shortly thereafter, police were again alerted by local residents to a robbery in progress on the 4600 block of Springfield Avenue.

A man -- who is not affiliated with Penn -- was reportedly walking westbound on Springfield Avenue from 46th Street when he was approached by a group of men who began to yell at him, then started to beat him and proceeded to take a small sum of cash as well as a debit card.

The attack was interrupted by a local resident -- a Penn employee -- who intervened to try to halt the robbery.

This man was also beaten by the assailants.

Suspect descriptions in this attack matched those for the earlier assault.

Philadelphia and Penn Police converged on the area in a search for the attackers.

In a matter of minutes, a group of men matching the descriptions was spotted on the 4300 block of Baltimore Avenue. The suspects fled in different directions, and foot pursuits ensued.

Philadelphia officers caught one suspect at 4400 Baltimore Ave., while Penn officers captured three others near 4300 Baltimore Ave.

Arrested were three juveniles -- one 16-year-old and two 17-year-olds -- and one adult, 18-year-old Charles Patterson of the 500 block of South 60th Street.

All of those arrested reportedly reside in West Philadelphia.

Victims positively identified all four of the suspects, who were taken to the Philadelphia Police Department's Southwest Detective Division for processing.

The suspects were charged with robbery and multiple counts of simple and aggravated assault, among other charges.

Based on the victims' accounts, police believe that up to four more people may have been part of the group of attackers. Detectives are working to locate the remaining assailants. None of the victims was injured seriously enough to require hospitalizatio