With just over two months into the year, new data shows that crime in Philadelphia has dropped compared to last year.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel tells NBC10 that the Philadelphia Police Department’s efforts are working as they are strategically using technology like surveillance cameras and tag readers and concentrating their efforts in known crime hot spots.
Bethel credits the department’s auto theft campaign and consistent meetings with business owners for driving down property crime and quality-of-life issues. He said he understands the work is not over, but he’s happy with the early improvements.
“We want to be a complete organization, we want to make sure people know that they matter. So we’re working hard to meet that charge,” said Bethel.
Police data shows that homicides are down more than 55% compared to the same period in 2025. Violent crimes are down 14%, and property crimes are down nearly 16%.
“At the end of the day, it’s the men and women on the ground, in everything. Whether it be my men and women in the police department, whether it be group violence intervention, community based programs on the ground. I sit up here, but at the end of the day, it’s the folks on the ground driving this success,” said Bethel.
As officers patrol the streets, anti-violence and mentoring groups are also hard at work.
In Germantown, Taj Murdock leads Men of Courage. The organization teaches teens life skills and job training, from landscaping and car detailing to multimedia. The kids earn money, while the group works to keep them off the streets and safe.
“They don’t want to do the things that they’re doing, but they truthfully don’t have any other options, and they are following the crowd,” Murdock said. “So at Men of Courage, we’ve taken a lot of the culture of gangs, and we’ve created our own positive gang.”