John, I have fought for a safer, healthier and more resilient Philadelphia all my life.

In 2010, I was called into a Philadelphia public high school that was long considered one of the most dangerous in the state. I saw the School District neglect escalating problems and only react and punish as children were being hurt, teachers and staff members assaulted, and parents and families fled the school and the city.

Alongside victim advocates and the U.S. Justice Department, I got to work – establishing accountability for harm, bringing in trained mediators to work with students, retraining teachers and school staff, and investing in academic and health supports for students. I helped turn around that school in less than two years, and learned then what I know now – safety is a whole city mission.

I know that real community safety means working hand-in-hand with those most impacted by violence to find real solutions. As Mayor, my top priority will be ensuring that everyone in Philadelphia is safe and feels safe.

This afternoon, I joined Councilmember Jamie Gauthier and community leaders to outline my comprehensive community safety agenda, with concrete actions to address violence and improve safety in all of our neighborhoods.

My comprehensive safety agenda is the product of months of close collaboration with the communities most impacted by violence. Here are the highlights:

• Restore basic safety through community policing, targeted violence interventions, investment in forensics and detectives, expanding mental health crisis response teams, and improved 911 response times.

• Stop violence before it happens with mediation and de-escalation, hospital intervention programs, and making parents part of the solution.

• Better support victims and survivors with coordinated support, resources for crime scene cleanup and funerals, and domestic violence response teams.

• Support youth with wrap-around services, including safe routes to school, guaranteed youth jobs in violence-impacted areas, and opening recreation centers and libraries on evenings and weekends.

• Make neighborhood improvements, such as adding lighting, clearing vacant lots, securing abandoned buildings, cleaning trash, cracking down on illegal dumping, and investing in greening and beautification efforts.

• Ensure accountability and rebuild community trust by evaluating public safety spending, measuring outcomes, and avoiding failed policies like stop and frisk.

Our community safety agenda is focused not only on responding swiftly and effectively to violence when it occurs — but preventing violence from happening in the first place.

On Day One, I will declare a State of Emergency – convening all City and community partners around a shared vision, utilizing evidence-based and data-driven strategies, and engaging directly with the neighborhoods most impacted by violence.

As Mayor, I will work closely with communities to invest in solutions that have been proven to work and to reclaim neighborhoods for our neighbors. By prioritizing outcomes and engaging with the community at every step, we will create a safer Philadelphia for all of our residents.

I have never sat on the sidelines when our city has been in need. Philadelphians need a leader who is tried, tested, and true in taking decisive action that keeps us all safe. It’s who I’ve always been, and it’s what I will do as your Mayor.

Thank you,
Helen

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