26th Police District

District Phone Directory Community Relations Officer 215.686-3260, 1, 2 Crime Prevention Officer 215.686-3260, 1, 2 Victim Assistance Officer 215.686-3260, 1, 2 Sanitation Enforcement Officer 215.686-3260, 1, 2

The 26 district encompasses 3. 3 square miles which is approximately 2.6 percent of the land mass of the city of Philadelphia. There are approximately 54,000 residents which represents 3.5 percent of the city's population.

The approximate ethnic makeup of the population of the 26 district is as follows:
White - 26,000 or 49 percent of the population.
Latino - 15,000 or 29 percent of the population.
African-American - 10,000 or 19 percent of the population.
Asian / others - 1300 or 3 percent of the population.

The 26th District's lies northeast of Center City and is bound by Lehigh Avenue to the north, the Delaware River to the East, Poplar street to the south, and 10th Street to the West.

PROGRAMS - PROACTIVE INITIATIVES
The 26th District Weed & Seed strategy is spearheaded by our Narcotics Enforcement Team, Mobile Mini- Station (R-25), and CAs. Our Weed and Seed strategy is to gain community support to work with the police to take back the neighborhood and have it controlled by the law-abiding citizens.

The officers assigned to R-25 meet with the community to learn firsthand what problems the community is confronted with and get a commitment of support to establish a strong community base. Once we establish a plan of attack, we apply the resources in our community arsenal to affect weeding and seeding. The arsenal incorporates city agencies with community groups. These agencies and groups serve a dual purpose; to activate city resources that may go overlooked and to call upon various community groups to organize and inform neighbors who are unaware that change is underway.

The 26th District N.E.T., in concert with uniform officers, go into the problem areas to make arrests. R-25 is then relocated to that area and continues weeding and begins seeding. The officers get a commitment from the neighbors to work with them to physically clean up the area. This plan includes physically:

• cleaning lots and streets
• sweeping, washing down, collecting trash and having it removed.
• Removing graffiti.
• Reporting missing street signs, broken traffic lights, potholes. and
• Complete processing for removal of abandoned vehicles.
• Work with other agencies to get abandoned properties cleaned and sealed or demolished when warranted.

The officers establish the following programs to strengthen the community commitment:
• Organize community members in block and Townwatch groups.
• Target hardening and crime prevention, seminars for residents and businesses.
• Save sticker anti-auto theft program.
• Business Owner Notification Decal program (B.O.N.D.).
• Drug marches and vigils.
• Drug and alcohol counseling programs are promoted.
• Promote Police Clergy Program In its attempts to achieve the seeding goals, they promote the following programs for youth:

• organize sports activities for youth
• teen works program - finds employment for teens after school
• truancy enforcement
• Drug Education For Youth (DEFY) mentoring program
• Police Explorers program - law enforcement related activities for teens
• Youth Advisory Council - educational programs for teens and parents. Focuses on communication skills and discipline techniques.
• Teen Court - peers mediate disputes and recommend punishment for minor offenses.
• Youth Programs - Pencil Pals, Art contest for anti- violence and anti-graffiti, essay contests for children focus on how they would improve the community.
• School is Cool Program - Police Officers address students on the importance of education
• Mystery Reading Program - police officers read to children from kindergarten through third grade.
• Bike Safety/Bike Rodeo - kindergarten through sixth grade * McGruff Safety Training - drug awareness seminars
• Educational programs for youth on conflict resolution, assertiveness training and target hardening.
• Child ID Program

Cops Ahead Personnel
Since its inception the officers who have been assigned to the Cops Ahead program have made a dramatic impact upon the community and those problems affecting. A partnership has developed between many of the officers and members of the community. Residents have been afforded an opportunity to interact more frequently with officers patrolling the area in which they live. This interaction has given residents and police the ability to form a bond and trust in one another so that information between the two can be exchanged. This information often leads to the peaceful resolution of many of the difficulties facing our residents. As a result we have seen a feeling of empowerment among the residents, a goal which was focused on and believed to be achieved.

Officers of the 26 district C. A. Program perform any functions while still addressing the needs and concerns of the community. As a result many of the traditional assignments have been given to C.A. officers who are again still expected to perform so-called untraditional functions. Cops Ahead officers are assigned to various tasks such as burglary details, tactical foot patrol, business foot beats, mobile mini bike beats, narcotics enforcement teams and abandoned auto and sanitation enforcement positions. As a result these officers are closely supervised by three Sergeants whom monitor their daily activities. One supervisor monitors the activities of the narcotics enforcement teams, a second supervisor monitors the activities of the burglary detail and the tactical units and the third supervisor monitors the activities of the personnel assigned to the mobile mini station and the five mandatory foot beats.

Mobile Mini Stations
The 26th district has one Mobile Mini Station, R-25. R-25 was purchased in 1996 by the empowerment zone. R-25 has seven police officers assigned, six of whom are bike trained. The location of their assignment is based on community needs. In 1998 R-25 helped resolve 31 problem locations throughout the 26 district. Personnel met with residence of the problem area, gathered information and notified pertinent city agencies. Coordinated efforts were then launched in cleaning and ceiling of abandoned properties, removal of abandoned automobiles, cleaning of vacant lots, cleaning trash littered streets and repairing of street signs and lights. R- 25 personnel helped coordinate narcotics arrests while working in cooperation thing with the narcotics enforcement teams and East division narcotics field unit. They have encouraged town watch participation and continue to provides support and information to the members of the mini station long after they have moved on to their next location. Footbeats The efforts of the officers assigned to the four business district foot beats receive nothing but praise from the business owners. Their presence and activities on their assignments have done much to reduce major crimes in these areas.

"COPS AHEAD" Officers
Cops Ahead officers have been deployed as district narcotics enforcement, burglary team officers, bike officers, tactical units and foot beat officers. Utilizing this group as a type of strike force within the 26 district has been very effective in resolving issues around chronic problem locations.

Crime Prevention Officer
The activities of the Crime Prevention officer in the 26th district have had a positive impact on the community. Although the currently assigned officer has only held this position for a short time his activities thus far are well within the parameters of the department's philosophy.

Park and Walk Assignments
Park and Walk assignments have been used as an effective tool to develop a working relationship between the community and our officers. Assigned officers are encouraged to talk with business owners and learn the problems of the area.

Victim Assistance Officer
The 26th district Victim Assistance Officer, although relatively new to the position, is developing her position well. Referrals from many social agencies are followed up in accordance with Departmental standards.

Problem Solving
The personnel of the 26TH District work with the managing director's office, the department of recreation, the fire department, the streets department, licenses and inspection, the school board, the National Guard, electric control board, traffic engineers, the Department of Justice, the bureau of narcotics investigations, the department of public welfare and the parole board as part of their problem solving tactics.

DARE
Drug Education for Youth, Police Explorers, Youth Aid Panel Teen Court and Teen Works were programs promoted by the CPO, VAO, PCRO and the Cops Ahead personnel that included many anti-drug activities. In addition, the mobile mini staff promoted Bike Rodeos with an anti-drug theme.