Philadelphia Launches 211 Program To Crack Down On Gun Violence

Night, Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, America

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Philadelphia saw a grim uptick in murders this month. According to Axios, the city recorded a total of 120 murders as of March 28, up an alarming 3 percent compared to last year. In 2020, 561 murders were reported throughout the city, “the highest total ever recorded,” the publication noted. Now, officials from the City of Brotherly Love are working to quell the violence with a new crime hotline initiative that will give residents access to resources on gun violence prevention and safety tips.

On Monday, the city launched The Violence Prevention Hotline, a 24 hours hotline staffed with dozens of trauma-informed “resource navigators” who will be on call to respond to residents impacted or concerned about issues of gun violence. Worried Philadelphians can call 211 to speak to a prevention expert that will provide information on gun violence awareness programs, nonprofits, and resources in “real-time.” Residents can connect to the hotline by phone, text, or email.

“This is a connection tool, it’s not replacing anyone or any group,” the program’s Managing Director Tumar Alexander clarified to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s meant to connect each and every group all across the city in real-time to what citizens need.” For emergencies, residents will still need to call 911, Alexander added.

“When you go through things in life, such as violence, there is always a time that you do seek help. Sometimes that help seems so far away,” said Eugene “Buddha” Thomas, president of Power Circle Mentors, an after-school youth program dedicated to empowering young Philadelphians through academia and creative arts. Members behind the new initiative hope that the hotline will help concerned citizens feel more comfortable about addressing gun-related crimes in their areas who may feel uncomfortable interacting with police. The growing crisis has disproportionately affected young Black men in the city.

“The only thing not getting better at the moment is our gun violence, and we need to get our arms around that. And with a full complement of everyone working together in every department, I am hopeful and confident we can get these numbers down,” said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney.

The Violence Prevention Hotline will also provide resources on conflict resolution, peer counseling, job programs, behavioral health support, and after-school programming. United Way of Greater Philadelphia and 211 Southeastern Pennsylvania spearheaded the $1.4 million funded program alongside the city.

Officials hope to hire 11 resource managers to work in the prevention hot line’s call center and to extend the program to include multiple languages, such as Spanish. The Violence Prevention Hotline has already been added to the United Way’s existing 211 hotline, which offers access to social service information.

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