A recent post on the West Philly Local forum led us to think about the most effective way of reporting ongoing crime to the police. A forum poster wrote:
“I have seen an increase in drug dealing at 49th and Baltimore, right by and along side of New Third World. I was offered Drugs on several occasions, and felt very uncomfortable. This had occurred today in the afternoon and last week, & wondered if anyone had the same experience, or what to do about it! I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable in my own neighborhood!”
Map image from Phillypolice.com.
One suggestion on our Facebook page where we shared the above post was to attend the monthly meeting of the police 18th District at the Calvary Church (4700 Baltimore Ave.), where a police lieutenant listens to citizen complaints and tips (the next one is Thursday, July 17 at 6 p.m.). But another reader rightly pointed out that the 18th District is divided into three “police service areas (PSAs),” and that the corner where the alleged drug dealing was taking place was just over the western edge of PSA 3, which has its community meeting at the Calvary Center. The northern border of PSA 3 (and all of the PSAs in the 18th) is Market Street. The eastern and southern border of PSA 3 is the Schuylkill River. Correction: The southern border of both PSA 1 and 2 is Baltimore Avenue and 57th Street divides them. 49th Street divides PSA 2 and PSA 3.
The neighborhoods south of Baltimore are in the 12th District. The Powelton and Mantua neighborhoods are served by the 16th.
Confused? How about it. We’re trying to get more information about the meetings at the other PSAs in the 18th. We’ll update when we get more info.
One way to alert police to ongoing problems is to e-mail the PSA commanders. Their e-mail addresses are here. For crimes in progress, 911 is still the way to go. A police officer we talked to said maybe the best way to get some action on a complaint is to call your police district, ask for a supervisor and request that a complaint be placed on the roll call. That will alert oncoming shifts of the problem each day for three days.
As for the drug problem at 49th and Baltimore, the cop we talked to said he would get the complaint on the roll call.
July 16th, 2014 at 12:05 pm
I live near 49th and Baltimore and I’m very surprised to see that someone is reporting an increase in drug-dealing in the area. I pass this corner 10x a day and I would report a marked decrease in questionable activity compared to last summer.
I think it’s striking that WPL has not only lifted the visibility of this claim but also converted it into a truth. The final sentence references “the drug problem at 49th and baltimore,” as if it has been established that there is a problem.
I do think it is helpful to share information about police service areas so that people can be generally more informed. But I would ask the blog authors to be more careful in the subtle ways that they promote a culture of fear and unnecessary policing.
July 16th, 2014 at 12:10 pm
I feel so uninformed. I was never aware of these monthly meetings despite the fact they are held right around the corner from my house… is there any chance of a mailing list or some means of getting updates when they are scheduled? Those of us who are not on Facebook at all are a little out of the loop.
July 17th, 2014 at 12:14 am
Dev, Fran also posts information about upcoming community/police meetings in our Events Calendar. We include events in our daily news digest. You can subscribe to it here.
July 16th, 2014 at 1:00 pm
Fran is actually pretty dedicated about posting flyers and to neighborhood email lists like ucneighbors.org and SHCA every month.
https://www.westphillylocal.com/2012/09/20/she-was-posting-flyers-about-a-police-meeting-when-the-purse-snatchers-struck/
July 16th, 2014 at 2:52 pm
I have also noticed a marked uptick in the number of boom lifts on that corner. By my reckoning it’s gone up 100%.
July 16th, 2014 at 6:12 pm
Anytime some one asks me if I want something whether it’s pot or pills or whatever I just look them in the eye politely say no thank. Then I call the police with a description of the situation and let them know. Then they will swing by and see what’s up. I don’t care what you do in the privacy of your own home or when your out to party, but our neighborhood where children are being raised should not be an open market where pedestrians feel uncomfortable. I know from life lessons that drugs and money can lead to reckless behavior and violence. See something say something. Not online but to the authorities asap. Then the entrepreneurs will know that their business is not welcome at this location and they will move on. It’s simple business strategy. Now if it was a legal operation that was paying taxes into our local economy (i.e. Colorado) I might have a different opinion.
July 17th, 2014 at 12:05 am
Dev,
If you send me your e-mail address I can make sure you stay informed. I have a list of about 400 residents that I keep updated about such meetings, and also about criminal activity that gets reported through spotcrime.com. I send periodic updates from that website, within a 2 mile radius of my home on the 900 block of 48th St. We are informally organized into a group called 48th St. Neighbors.
My e-mail address is: pbulack@gmail.com.
Thanks WPL for the publishing of the PSA boundaries.
July 17th, 2014 at 8:17 am
I try to avoid 49th & Baltimore in the evenings and nights. I get off the trolley at 48th & Baltimore and walk up Florence to my house. It just feels safer.
July 17th, 2014 at 8:24 am
I think the drug problem at 49th and Baltimore is established and has been for years. The suggestion that this may not be a fact is surprisly ignorant to me. Going back 8 years ago, it was known and established as a block you only went to buy drugs and many of those same folks are still here selling. 49th and Baltimore is a drug corner. It’s established. Sorry
July 17th, 2014 at 9:25 am
Does anyone know the history/cause of the graffiti on the boarded up building that says something like “this place exploits children?” That makes me feel like something at least loosely organized and not very good happens there.
July 17th, 2014 at 10:45 am
This sentence:
The southern border of both PSA 2 and 3 is Baltimore Avenue and 57th Street divides them.
Should read PSA 1 and PSA 2.
Additionally, it might be useful to explicitly state that 49th street is the boundary between PSA3 and PSA2 which is implied in the article, but not stated.
Bill
July 17th, 2014 at 12:50 pm
I agree with S that the drug dealing on 49th and Baltimore/49th and Walton has decreased A LOT over the past few years. Unmistakably so. I understand that historically this has been a “drug dealing” corner, but I would not consider it an “open market”. And for whatever it’s worth, I’ve only ever seen dime bags of weed getting passed around. Pretty small potatoes. Not to say that you shouldn’t alert the authorities if it bothers you, but let’s be honest and give the police some credit for doing a really good job keeping it under control.
July 17th, 2014 at 9:25 pm
Re: Cory, I was also concerned about that graffitti message and that building with its windows on the second floor which have walls built over them. What kind of building has no windows. Does that ever give anyone else a bad feeling? Only bad things come to mind for me. I dream of the day when that building is all cleaned and painted and the sidewalk fresh with less concrete and more plants and a business that’s open in the day time and daylight inside. Thanks to the people across the street that have that big building a fresh coat of red paint. One day… one day.
July 19th, 2014 at 8:09 am
I was at the laundromat near 49th and Baltimore one time and some ladies were talking about sex work that happens in that building certain nights of the week. One of them was like “its just cage dancing” and then the other was like “no, it is not just dancing.” I felt really concerned when I saw that “this place exploits children” graffiti…
July 19th, 2014 at 4:14 pm
Where is/was this graffiti exactly?
And baggies of white powder are definitely in the mix and blatantly so.
July 22nd, 2014 at 6:25 pm
I would definitely be careful in that vicinity. The young guys stand in the pizza store and Chinese store and watch who comes and goes in the stores directly across the street especially the ATM. I was followed into the discount SMILE DOLLAR by one of them sometime ago to be robbed. I get off at 48th street as well that is a lot safer.