The Philadelphia Police Foundation is doing its part to help the Philadelphia Police Department address the surge in violent crime that has gripped the city. The PPF has spent nearly $250,000 on three direct ways alone to combat crime: 1) The Foundation is covering the full cost of 18-24 months of mandatory training for 8 newly hired Firearms Examiners. 2) The Foundation purchased a Berla iVE Ecosystem and a Crash Data Retrieval System for the Accident Investigation Division. 3) The Foundation purchased critical technology needs for the newly formed Non-Fatal Shooting Unit.

Maureen S. Rush, President of the Philadelphia Police Foundation, said the new equipment, which was not included in the city’s budget for the Police Department, will assist multiple units within the Department with stopping crime and identifying perpetrators of crime.

“This is the ultimate ‘all hands on deck’ situation. We all want this crime epidemic in the city to stop. We all want to do our part. And the Philadelphia Police Foundation is uniquely positioned to step up during times like this,” Rush said. “The men and women who wear the PPD shield right now deserve to be provided with the finest equipment available in law enforcement. The Police Foundation is always pleased to be able to provide PPD with the very best training and technology to make their jobs better and in turn to make the city safer.”

Homicides in 2021 were at an all-time high of 562, shattering the previous high of five hundred set in 1990. In addition, police statistics show between 2010-2019, there was an average of 230 carjackings each year in the city. The number rose to 409 in 2020 and reached 757 in 2021. So far this year, violent crime continues to climb. As of early-June 2022, there have already been well over 200 homicides and over three hundred carjackings.  The Philadelphia Police Foundation is doubling down on our support to fund programs that will assist in addressing this epidemic of crime and violence.

The Foundation has 4 support pillars in 2022:

1. 1. Reducing the Gun Violence epidemic by funding unbudgeted crime reduction initiatives.
2. 2. Supporting Officer Wellness programs and Police Accountability initiatives.
3. 3. Providing Strategic and Advanced Training Opportunities at all levels of the PPD.
4. 4. Providing engagement opportunities between the Philadelphia Police and the youth of the city.