Short Essay and Podcast Reading List, 2017-2022 - Philadelphia and its Gun Violence Epidemic
2023 and gun violence in Philadelphia continues unabated…
I am launching this space as a place where stakeholders in the fight against gun violence can come to peruse the lastest podcasts, news stories, essays and articles on gun violence, specifically pertaining to Philadelphia.
Below are some links to essays, editorials, op-eds, news stories and podcasts chronicling Philadelphia’s gun violence epidemic, the government’s response, and community opinions/solutions/advocacy. These links aren’t exhaustive in any way, but simply represent an assortment of work I find best highlights the frustration with Philadelphia’s ongoing epidemic. The majority of these essays are from Phila Inquirer columnist Helen Ubiñas. [I will update this list every six months.]
Before you read through/peruse these materials, it is best to understand the City’s public safety strategy, summarized in their written plan known as “The Roadmap to Safer Communities.” Philadelphia’s Roadmap to Safer Communities and updates:
https://www.phila.gov/documents/the-philadelphia-roadmap-to-safer-communities/
The essay, article and podcast links below are in chronological order, starting from 2017. Reading/digesting them in order may help give you a sense of Phila’s history in attempting to tackle gun violence and the mounting frustration felt by the community and everyone impacted. Everyone is impacted. Those without Inquirer digital subscriptions will hit a paywall after reading a few articles free online. Temple students, please go to the TU library databases and search for the “Philadelphia Inquirer” in the search databases or use the “search everything” query. (I have pasted in the full link, instead of simply using a hyperlink, because links get broken—this way, you can likely determine where to find another copy if my link is not working.). I would usually say “Happy reading!” after I post a reading list, but this is not a happy situation.
1. June 30, 2017: “Prove your anti-violence program works” | Helen Ubiñas
2. October 25, 2017: Millions spent on Philly anti-violence programs - but how? | Helen Ubiñas
3. Sept 28, 2018: When will the millions Philly spends on antiviolence actually work | Helen Ubiñas
4. December 19, 2018: Tap your inner Grinch by reading Philadelphia’s latest report on violence prevention programs | Helen Ubiñas
https://www.inquirer.com/news/helen-ubias-philadelphia-guns-violence-murders-shootings-20181219.html
5. January 8th 2019: Is the city’s newest plan to reduce violence a roadmap or a dead end? | Helen Ubiñas
https://www.inquirer.com/news/helen-ubias-mayor-kenney-violence-guns-20190118.html
6. June 27, 2019: ‘At this point, all we can do is pray.’ A mother of a homicide victim on an emergency gun-violence meeting | Helen Ubiñas
7. December 11th, 2019: Professor Roman’s op-ed: https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/gun-violence-homicides-philadelphia-solutions-20191211.html
8. December 16th, 2019: The city’s response (Inquirer op-ed by Brian Abernathy and Vanessa Garrett Harley) after my op-ed: https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/mayor-jim-kenney-philadelphia-violence-prevention-20191216.html
9. August 22, 2020: Dr. Ruth Abaya (Injury Prevention Program Manager for the Phila Dept of Public Health & CHOP emergency medicine pediatrician) Inquirer op-ed: “As Philly’s violent summer continues, Pa. lawmakers could help by passing stricter gun laws”
https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/philadelphia-gun-violence-permit-license-harrisburg-legislature-20200827.html
10. Sept 2, 2020: Inquirer Editorial Board: After the City Council’s hearings on gun violence: https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/philadelphia-gun-violence-evidence-data-group-intervention-20200902.html
11. September 5, 2020: Helen Ubiñas reflecting on City Council’s virtual hearing with Office of Violence Prevention: Is it time to defund Philly’s Office of Violence Prevention? | Helen Ubiñas
https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/office-violence-prevention-philadelphia-gun-shooting-defund-the-police-20200905.html
12. February 2021: Philadelphia Police Captain Matt Gillespie (now overseeing PPD Southwest Detective Division) begins his monthly podcast series. This podcast features candid episodes that highlight different thoughts and perspectives while offering strategies to lower violence. Available on Apple Podcasts:
A personal favorite is Season 2, Episode 4: Captain Gillespie talks with Dr. Zaffer Qasim an Emergency and Trauma/Critical Care Physician at Penn Medicine. Dr. Qasim discusses his path from the UK to Baltimore and now Philadelphia. The conversation goes into what it is like when one or multiple shooting victim come into the hospital ER, and where police officers should and should not be during that time.
13. February 4, 2021: Phila Office of the Inspector General investigative report summarizing the state of the Managing Director’s Office (MDO) grant portfolio on Targeted Community Investment Grants (TCIGs). TCIGs are a large prong of the Phila Mayor’s Roadmap to Safer Communities. Report was commissioned in response to allegations of mismanagement of the TCIG program:
https://www.phila.gov/media/20220831143409/Targeted-Community-Investment-Grants-Program-Report.pdf
14. March 19, 2021: Philly’s new gun briefings need improvement — even if we grade on a curve | Helen Ubiñas https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/philadelphia-gun-violence-mayor-kenney-jamal-johnson-briefings-helen-ubinas-20210319.html
15. May 7, 2021: 6ABC deep dive into gun violence with articles and videos: Journalists: Maia Rosenfeld and TaRhonda Thomas and others:
https://6abc.com/philadelphia-gun-violence-black-women-crime-victim-police/10594894/
16. May 26, 2021: The Philadelphia Citizen’s Philly Under Fire podcast. Six-episode series. Developed and researched by Jo Piazza:
https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/philly-under-fire-episodes/
17. June 25, 2021: “Growing calls for accountability of Philly’s taxpayer-funded antiviolence programs giving me hope” | Helen Ubiñas
https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/office-of-violence-prevention-philadelphia-gun-violence-budget-helen-ubinas-20210625.html
18. July 30, 2021: Journalist Alec MacGillis reporting in ProPublica on Philadelphia’s Homicide Surge. MacGillis interviewed a wide array of stakeholders to explore the startling toll of gun violence in Phila:
https://www.propublica.org/article/philadelphia-homicide-surge
19. August 2021: Report from Phila Controller (at the time) Rebecca Rhynhart summarizing and analyzing FY22 anti-violence spending.
https://controller.phila.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/FY22-Anti-Violence-Funding-Data-Release.pdf
20. September 16, 2021: Inquirer journalists Chris Palmer, Dylan Purcell, Anna Orso, John Duchneskie, and Jessica Griffin wrote “Intersections of Injustice” after examining the locations of shootings over the last five years and finding that there are 57 blocks where 10 or more people have been shot between 2015 and summer 2021.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/a/philadelphia-shootings-homicides-redlining-kensington-20210916.html
21. January 7, 2022: Professor Roman and John K. Roman Inquirer op-ed: Mayor Kenney should create a cabinet of experts to stem gun violence:
https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/gun-violence-philadelphia-mayor-kenney-cabinet-20220107.html
22. January 15, 2022, Report from Phila Controller (at the time) Rebecca Rhynhart analyzing gun violence clearance rates and case outcomes (“Data Release”)
https://controller.phila.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Gun-Violence-Review-Data-Release.pdf
23. March 7, 2022: Summaries & news stories on Temple research studies (Roman and Johnson) that identify Kensington’s drug markets as a large driver of gun violence since the onset of the pandemic:
b. Summary of evaluation findings on the PA OAG-led Kensington Initiative: https://sites.temple.edu/cjresearchpages/roman/
c. Professor Roman’s (with Nichole Johnson) presentation about Philadelphia, drug markets and increases in shootings developed for a national panel hosted by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) on Crime Rates during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Workshop:
https://www.nationalacademies.org/documents/embed/link/LF2255DA3DD1C41C0A42D3BEF0989ACAECE3053A6A9B/file/DA4C60F779F9DCC06D82386D6474ECF3D4E81CF7C518?noSaveAs=1
Full highlights from the National Academy panel here:
d. Phila Inquirer journalist Mike Newall’s news story on Kensington drug-related violence: https://www.inquirer.com/zzz-systest/a/heroin-effects-kensington-philadelphia-dealers-violence-20210520.html
24. August 2022, Report from Phila Controller (at the time) Rebecca Rhynhart summarizing and analyzing FY23 anti-violence spending. Spending is categorized using three areas: The analysis categorizes spending into three areas of investment: prevention, intervention and transformation:
25. September 6, 2022: WHYY’s Sammy Caiola: The city is resuming its gun violence listening tours:
https://whyy.org/articles/philadelphia-resumes-gun-violence-listening-tours-impact/
Additional essays/stories from Sammy Caiola on gun violence can be found here:
https://whyy.org/?s=Sammy+caiola
26. September 29, 2022: Words aren’t enough: We’re running out of words as more bloodshed adds to the unending shame of our city | Helen Ubiñas
https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/tiffany-fletcher-roxborough-high-shooting-philadelphia-20220929.html
27. October 20, 2022: Who are we to give up? The beautiful parts of Philadelphia can't be sustained unless its ugliness is addressed. | Helen Ubiñas
28. October 25, 2022: Amistad Law Project Podcast: What Happened to Our Communities when Gun Control Failed?
https://amistadlaw.org/news/new-podcast-ep-what-happened-our-communities-when-gun-control-failed
29. November 11, 2022: Inquirer journalists Chris Palmer and Ellie Rushing write about the state of main strategy in the city’s anti-violence work/funding: Community Crisis Intervention Program (CCIP).
https://www.inquirer.com/news/community-crisis-intervention-program-philadelphia-gun-violence-report-20221111.html
The reports with the evaluation summary of CCIP from American Enterprise Institute (AEI) (author Dr. Patricia Campie) can be found here:
https://www.phila.gov/documents/community-crisis-intervention-program-evaluation/
30. November 14, 2022: WHYY Podcast: WHYY’s ‘Stop and Frisk’ podcast explores solutions to gun violence
https://whyy.org/articles/whyy-stop-frisk-podcast-philadelphia-gun-violence-solutions-launch/
31. December 2, 2022: Call for leaders with accountability on gun violence: “Seeking new Philly mayor with real, results-driven commitment to accountability.” | Helen Ubiñas
32. December 7, 2022: Where someone is killed may make a difference in case closure. | Helen Ubiñas
Other Materials and Websites Related to Gun Violence that May be of Interest:
33. The Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting: www.pcgvr.org run by Jim MacMillan
a. For current and historical numbers on shootings: see PCGVR’s Shooting Victims Dashboard:
https://www.pcgvr.org/philadelphia-shooting-victims-dashboard/
34. Phila City Council Transcript Room for obtaining transcripts to hearings. Go to site and under dropdown menu for “committee” choose GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION. Hearings are organized by date. These hearings are worth their weight in gold.
https://www.transcriptroom.org/tr/CAF/TranscriptsWithOutLogin?serviceName=Transcript%20Room%20-%20Committee%20Hearings
35. Online News from TheTrace.org with journalist Mensah Dean writing about Philadelphia:
www.Thetrace.org For Mensah Dean’s articles, see for instance (Dec 21, 2022) Philadelphia Surpasses 500 Homicides for 2nd Year in a Row: https://www.thetrace.org/2022/12/philly-murder-rate-shooting-police/
36. Gun violence resources/organizations/services:
https://www.uptheblock.org/en/
37. Professor Jerry Ratcliffe’s Reducing Crime Podcast (a few episodes touch on gun violence) https://www.reducingcrime.com/podcast
Great list! Also check out two short films made by Philadelphia youth and mothers in 2020 about their experiences with gun violence: "Our Philadelphia" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPmz6DYnzMg) and "Club With No Name" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgvhPL-p6uk)