Often when robberies start happening at an increased level all of a sudden, it's typically the same ring of people doing them. You'd think there would be decoy police officers used more often to catch muggers. Unfortunately, this is life in the big city everywhere. A friend of mine was held up at knifepoint in a restroom in London and another friend was knocked down and had her purse stolen in Paris. This is one of the negatives of big city life.
Yet in Philadelphia, the police does need to patrol on foot more often in areas where robberies are increasing.

Would be nice if they would put more police on foot patrol anywhere. In the two years I've lived here, I think I saw a cop on foot ONCE when I lived in Center City; I've never seen one on foot on my side of the river.

__________________
- We must be the change we wish to see in the world -
Mahatma Gandhi

Yeah...where I live. There's whole sections of the city where something like this would never happen. Just because you chose to live in a questionable area doesn't mena the whole city suffers from random muggings.

It just doesn't happen everywhere.

Here a tool you can use that shows crime in Philly. There are very nice parts. We have robberies in my area...but they aren't person to person or violent. We may have a bar fight but no one gets shot. Crime happens...violent crime happens in a bad neigborhood. The edge of University City is a bad neigborhood no matter how "cool" it is.

You have no idea of what that section used to look like 10-15 years ago. It's like a suburb now compared to what used to happen around there.

http://www.cml.upenn.edu/crimebase/cbsMapRequest.asp

I agree.

I live at 51st & Delancey (between Pine & Spruce). I walk to 52nd & Spruce at 1am for Chinese food or to go to the A-Plus. I feel completely safe. On the other hand, I don't walk north on 51st Street after dark. There are too many trees, which makes the street dark and makes it hard to see everything that is going on around you. Most of the foot & car traffic is on 52nd Street - so there aren't many potential witnesses. And 51st & Chancellor is a big time drug & prostitution block (as a side note it amazes me that 3 bedroom houses on that block are going for $130k - especially 5132 Chancellor bc 5134 is THE drug house). I feel generally safe, but at the same I'm aware that I'm in the city and crime happens.

I don't think I'm immune to being robbed, but I take precautions, I don't go out w/ my purse or wearing jewelry late at night. If I feel like there is a potentially "dangerous" person or dangerous place, I walk in the middle of the street - makes you more visible to non-muggers - and I put my cell phone up to my ear like I'm talking to someone (or I actually call someone who lives in the neighborhood). I figure if the mugger thinks I'm on the phone, he or she will think twice because the person I'm on the phone with may call the police? And finally, if all else fails, start talking to yourself and scratching your private area. If you are crazy even muggers don't want to deal with you. Luckily I've never had to take the last measure. Now these are just things that I came up with. I have no idea if they work or if I'm just lucky. But I'm a young white female who has, until recently, lived alone in the city for the better part of 6 years. I took the same measures when I lived on 20th & Chestnut. Crime happens in all parts of the city.

Honestly, I'm more scared of the suburbs than the city... It's too dark and I'm always scared that someone is hiding behind a tree somewhere. It drives me crazy. Maybe the city has just made me paranoid??

That really stinks, and I'm glad you're okay. We had something similar happen to us, once. You did the right thing to wait out the police. Often when there's a rash it is one person/instigator who gets a group of followers to go with him every night until he's caught.

My take is that U City is indeed an appealing target for criminals, because there is often at night enough street traffic to create victims but not so much as to create witnesses. That said, 1) I think it's generally safe, 2) when the particular instigator gets caught they'll be a drop off in these until somebody else gets a bright idea, and 3) it's usually not coming from the immediately surrounding neighborhoods of West Philly--many of which are fairly stable--but from people coming from other parts of the city.

I walk out of my house and I never even think about any of that. I live in the biggest area of the city with them most people in it. My neigborhood is covered in trees. THere isn't any prostitution for a 30 block radius. (yeah there's a wishy wash somewhere in there but there are not on the street) We have drug dealers but they aren't on the corners. We have crime but not the kind that makes you nervous.

Violent crime happens near bad areas...Center City is surrounded by somewhat rough areas. Any criminal with any common sense will go into the closest "rich" area to find a victim. University City and Center City will always be questionable until the neighborhoods near them are cleaned up.

I am very sad to hear that you are aprehensive of trees and poorly lit places. Ever think of moving to an area with lower crime?

Try that crime data map...find a nice apartment complex in a low crime area....don't be afraid or paranoid to walk around...you'll sleep better at night.

somehow I don't find cc to be questionable.

__________________
"You down wit OPM?"
Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"

i live out here and am sometimes so petrified to go out at night due to the increase in crime. i had a friend who was robbed at gunpoint at 46th and baltimore a few months ago, and another group of friends who helped a young man who was brutally beaten (but not surprisingly not mugged) a few weeks ago at 46th and baltimore as well. i typically ride my bike everywhere i go, and try to limit the amount of time im walking places in this hood, esp at night (eventhough i have a friend who was chased while on his bike by kids trying to knock him off). i often wonder what i should be doing/ how i should be holding myself in the event that i walk up on a group like the one described who did the mugging?

and thanks a2andkat... the scratching your crotch and talking to yourself tip is just what i needed to make me laugh at my fears and realize if i do get into a jam i can just play crazy

If you are a male, acting silly and scratcing your crotch will get your ass beaten even quicker. Bad idea.