In an effort to slow the city’s rising homicide rate, the Philadelphia Police Department is getting more help from the federal government, says the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mayor Michael Nutter, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced a partnership between the city and the Department of Justice that will temporarily funnel additional resources toward preventing drug-related crime in the city.
The Violent Crime Reduction Partnership, which will continue through September, is made up of more than 50 federal agents, investigators, intelligence analysts, and others who will work to bring federal cases against violent criminals. The partnership was responsible for last week’s raid by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in Southwest Philadelphia. Eight people were charged with planning to steal $50,000 worth of cocaine from a drug dealer. As of yesterday, there had been 196 homicides this year in Philadelphia, compared with 179 at the same time last year.