Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City officials credit steep crime declines as Police and Public Safety seek FY2027 funding
Summary
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and Chief Public Safety Director Adam Geer told City Council the city has seen substantial declines in homicides and shootings since 2021 and outlined a five-year strategic plan and grant programs tied to the FY2027 operating and capital budgets.
Philadelphia City Council heard extensive testimony from Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and Chief Public Safety Director Adam Geer during a Committee of the Whole hearing on the city's proposed FY2027 operating and capital budgets and related tax measures.
Bethel opened by praising interagency partnerships and Mayor Parker's emergency declaration, calling the Police Department's new five-year strategic plan and the proposed budget an "investment in the men and women" who patrol the city. He said the city has seen "historic" reductions in violence, citing large percentage drops in homicides and shootings since 2021 and asserting improved clearance rates as part of that progress. He told council members the budget request is intended to align spending directly with outcomes including training, technology, victim support and wellness services.
Geer described the Office of Public Safety's role as coordinating prevention, intervention and enforcement across government divisions. He detailed OPS initiatives funded in the current budget cycle: a $25 million community capacity grants program, group violence intervention, the Kensington Wellness Support Center, neighborhood resource centers, and plans to launch a Philadelphia Peacekeepers Institute. Geer said OPS has centralized data across nine divisions with a unified data platform and is working with Philly Stat 360 to publish grantee data and program outcomes.
Council members pressed officials for metrics and timelines. Geer and Bethel described specific operational changes: weekly domestic-violence case reviews with victim advocates and the district attorney, a planned lethality assessment tool for officers and a centralized dashboard for domestic cases, and an expanded forensic lab expected to be fully operational during 2027. Officials also said federal grants have provided event-specific funding, including support for FIFA-related operations and drone mitigation resources.
Council members expressed consistent interest in demonstrable measures of grant effectiveness, stronger district-level communication when incidents occur, and assurances that grant-funded nonprofits receive mandatory technical assistance and financial-management support. Geer pledged improved transparency, more formal reporting through Philly Stat 360, and routine follow-up with council offices on local incidents.
The hearing continued with detailed questioning of OPS and PPD officials on staffing shortfalls, overtime (the department cited approximately $132 million in overtime costs), juvenile diversion outcomes, and neighborhood-based pilots. The committee recessed with requests for written follow-ups and data on several of the programs and metrics discussed.
