LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Dear Philadelphia,

A dream. Paradise. Magical. Utopia.

These are some of the answers that were shouted out on a chilly spring evening in Mantua, where about 20 people had gathered to share a meal and take part in a community discussion. The question posed to those in attendance was this:

“What does a Philadelphia without gun violence look like to you?”

A shooting-free Philly may feel overly optimistic, but recent data renews hope that we’re moving in the right direction. 2024 marked the second straight year of dramatic declines in rates of shootings and murders in our city. The pandemic ushered in a wave of senseless gun crimes that seemingly touched every resident and was labeled an “epidemic” threatening public safety and our collective mental health. In both 2021 and 2022, we lost more than 500 souls to gun violence. That number dipped to 410 in 2023 and 269 in 2024.

Our first newsletter of 2025 is largely reflective, examining progress in the fight against gun violence and how we got to this point. As we hear from our reporting partner The Trace, the return to pre-pandemic levels of gun violence is credited to a combination of prevention and intervention programs, policing strategies, and the end of COVID-19 restrictions.

What’s important to understand now is how to sustain progress and drive it forward. Two of the stories in this newsletter explore perspectives from cleaning and greening advocates and advocates of safe gun ownership, while a third story captures community members’ thoughts about solutions from the aforementioned community discussion.

There is no single solution to a safer city, as uplifted by the voices that helped bring this newsletter to life. This edition highlights how different approaches can bring us closer to “peace on the streets.”

While there may be varying opinions on how we achieve a safer Philly, there is one solution on which there is broad consensus–the only way to make that dream a reality is to work together in community.

Danielle Smith
Director of Community News and Engagement
danielle@resolvephilly.org