Philadelphia has unveiled the summer programs available to families this season. But the announcement comes after two recent shootings at rec centers that left several teens hurt. Now, city leaders are focusing efforts on keeping kids safe. NBC10’s Brian Sheehan reports.
Now that baseball is back, it's fair to note that the summer is just around the corner.
And, city officials took time to detail a litany of events and job opportunities that will be available throughout the summer months.
On Wednesday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker joined fellow municipal officials to share details on everything that will be available for youth throughout the city and young adults through the #ItsASummerThing campaign.
"Summer in Philadelphia is about fun, opportunity and ensuring that our young people have access to safe, enriching activities that support their growth and success," said Parker.
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Parker and officials from the Office of Children and Families, The Department of Parks & Recreation, The Free Library of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Police Department, and other agencies, discussed what the city will have to offer in an effort to keep youth throughout Philadelphia entertained through the summer months.
A website set up for this year's events claims the city plans to have more than 60 pools and over 100 spraygrounds open seven days a week.
There will also be summer learning programs presented by the School District of Philadelphia, along with paid, hands-on work-based learning experiences, summer camps, playstreets programming and more.
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A full list of upcoming programming and job opportunities is available here.
The summer programming announcement comes after data from the Philadelphia police was found to show that almost two kids a week have been shot in the city so far this year.
That’s as youth violence is at its lowest point since before the pandemic.
Youth violence spikes in summer months, statistics show
In fact, this week city officials held a meeting to discuss youth violence after a pair of recent shootings at Philadelphia Rec. Centers left four teens hurt.
In his statements during the day's event, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said, starting Wednesday, police would be stepping up enforcement at recreation centers across the city to prevent future instances of violence.
And, he noted, that residents using the city's pools will likely notice more police presence in the area this summer, as well.
Still, he noted, overall crime is down in the city so far this year.
"We can talk about the negatives, but we are making a difference in the city. It is happening because of the team the mayor has assembled and her leadership. And, we are not going back," Bethel said.
In the past five years, police data shows that about 950 kids have been shot and 130 killed in Philadelphia.
That same data shows gun violence in the city typically peaks during the summer with July being the most common month for shootings. According to the data, children are most likely to be impacted by gun violence between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The data also shows more children are shot on Mondays than any other day in the week and most of the shootings are occurring in the 22nd District, which includes North Philadelphia, Strawberry Mansion and Brewerytown.
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