Staying safe in Philly is quite a task in some areas, but springtime makes homeowners and pedestrians alike particularly vulnerable to property crime. Here are a few suggestions for keeping your Philadelphia home safe when the weather warms up and defenses are down…
In spring, many people like to leave windows or screen doors open to get fresh air into the house. While great for air flow, this leaves homes particularly vulnerable to break in, so be careful to close windows and continue reading…
Learning Karate is an excellent way to defend yourself from an attack. A person who knows karate does not need a can of mace or pepper spray. He or she will already have a built in can of beat down for anyone who crosses his or her path. The objective of learning the art of karate is not to harm people, but to have the necessary defense skills if an attack occurs and no one is nearby to help.
There are several schools in Philadelphia that teach the art of karate. One excellent place to obtain training is continue reading…
There are many self defense class choices in the Philadelphia area. Determining the best class for you is paramount if you are to gain the most from your training.
To be prepared to act on your own behalf during a violent encounter, focus on realistic combat tactics and fitness. You will want to increase your fitness levels to draw on stamina and strength when defending yourself. Choosing a physically demanding class will increase your fitness, which will increase your confidence. Confidence is key to self defense. Ideally you will wish to find a martial continue reading…
Jogging in Philly can be quite enjoyable but you must always remember to be safe as Philly is an area of high crime and mischief. With the right safety plan in effect you can assure yourself that you will be returning home safe and well exercised. Here are five tips on how to stay safe when jogging in Philly:
1. Jog During the Day
It might be cooler at night and slightly more enjoyable to jog while watching the lights flicker in the city, but this is the most unsafe time.Additional information can be found at http://imbusyonline.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/how-to-get-refreshing-fresh-air/. Many continue reading…
The city of Brotherly Love is fully of history and character. With that being said, it is also prone to crime. If you are planning on visiting Philadelphia you may want to consider some things. First, make sure that you stay in a safe, well lit hotel. City center is great but try to avoid parking in areas at night that are not well lit. Find a lot that has attendants and is well maintained. Also, watch the traffic at crosswalks continue reading…
Philadelphia has gone through urban revivals in recent years. The city has gone to great lengths to clean up many of its neighborhoods. Visitors will find little trouble anywhere in the city during the day, although there are certain neighborhoods a person should go out of his way to avoid at night.
Any large city will have crime, homelessness, impossible parking, unusual traffic patterns and discourteous drivers. City residents recommend that visitors avoid the Northern part of the city and the southern party of the city continue reading…
One of the major challenges that home buyers is finding a home in a neighborhood that is safe. For people that are looking to move to Philadelphia, that is an even bigger challenge. Although Philadelphia is not the most dangerous city in the United States, it is certainly not the safest. It is filled with gangs and people that commit crimes on a daily basis. Families want somewhere to live that is safe for them and their children. Fortunately, there are areas in this city where the crime and violence continue reading…
In an article dated January 21, 2011 in the Philadelphia Inquirer, staff writer George Anastasia reported that federal authorities arrested more than 120 “mob figures” as officials in Philadelphia continue to gather evidence in an investigation of reputed local mob boss Joseph “Uncle Joe” Ligambi and his top associates.The Inquirer pointed out that “senseless slayings, violent extortions, arson, labor racketeering, and drug dealing were outlined in a series of indictments that were unsealed as law enforcement agents fanned out across four states” and Italy. U.S. Attorney General Eric holder commented that “this is one of the largest single-day operations against the Mafia in the FBI’s history, both in terms of the number of defendants arrested and charged and the scope of the criminal activity that is alleged.”In addition to “Uncle Joe” some other nicknames that became revealed during the indictment and arrests were Baby Shanks, Nerves, Jimmy Gooch, JoJo, Bobby Glasses, The Professor, Jimmy carwash,, Jack the Whack, Jello, Burger, Junior Lollipops, Much, Fat Dennis, Lumpy, and Fatty. We applaud the legal team that had to secure the indictment and keep all of those names straight.The Times Herald (Norriston and Montgomery County) had a good observation when writing about the arrests and pointing out that “for an organization that is regularly declared dead, the Mafia has proved surprisingly resilient. It has to be the nicknames. They’re just too good to lose.”Let’s just hope that Jello and Lumpy don’t end up sharing a cell. The mere thought of Lumpy Jello could send one to the brink.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on December 30, 2010 that violent crime in the city dropped three percent, but property crime rose four percent. The article went on to report that “Philadelphia’s crime numbers are consistent with the trends of large cities” and Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey cited factors such as the city’s financial crises as contributing to the statistics and pointed out that Philadelphia “still has the highest rate of gun violence among major cities;” adding that “if the department cannot hire in 2012″ he hopes to get an academy class in July where some reorganization might take place to further improve statistics. The article also pointed out that the police department is currently 143 officers short of its continue reading…
If you believe the adage that “knowledge is power” and you’re truly committed to helping Philly become a safer place then you may want to check out these resources to help ramp up your knowledge (power) to help get the job done!Handbook of Crime Prevention and Community Safety (Nick Tilley) provides a comprehensive, authoritative and wide-ranging account of the background, theory and practice of crime prevention and community safety. It will be essential reading for anybody with interests in these fields, and will be the major work of reference on this subject for those engaged in the practice, study or teaching of crime prevention. The book provides a detailed overview of the main theories and perspectives informing crime prevention policy and practice, and includes chapters covering efforts to address a number of the main types of crime problem. It also includes chapters relating to research methodologies used in conducting and evaluating crime prevention initiatives.Crime Prevention in America (Dean J. Champion) is multidimensional: Police, community residents, the courts, the correctional community and intervention programs all play a role in it. Crime Prevention in the United States is a collection of readings that explore each area of crime prevention including its history; the impact of law enforcement, the courts, and corrections; juvenile delinquency and its prevention; and crime prevention programs for continue reading…