September 11, 2007 Murder Chart
Update: Please see this post for information about where these data come from.
I haven’t updated this chart in awhile. When I first began posting about the murder rate, back in July, there seemed to be a little momentum towards recovering from the first three truly bloody months of the year. In just those three months, there had been 20 more murders this year than last, a shocking 24.3% increase. Subsequently, however, from April to the end of July, the murder rate seemed to shift. During those months, the city saw a net decline of 9 murders over the same period in 2006, a 6% improvement. Commenter eROCK was skeptical, at the time. Indeed, August, and, so far, September have not been good. The gains from the previous period have been totally erased. In fact, this year between August 1st and September 11th, there have been 47 murders, compared with just 36 for the same period last year. That represents more than a 30% increase. For the year, thus far, Philadelphia is looking at an 8.1% increase in murders over last year. If that trend continues, we may see around 440 murders this year. With 111 days remaining in the year, that’s 1.3 murders a day. Let’s hope things turn around.
eR0CK said,
September 11, 2007 @ 12:38 pm
We’ll see what happens … I still maintain the city is doing little to nothing to prevent these murders from occurring. If the city is doing anything, it’s certainly not enough because as it stands today, we’re still seeing more murders this year than last. Something is very, VERY wrong with our city.
ed said,
September 12, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
hi, i’m a grad student at Philadelphia University beginning a research project on the homicide rate in Philadelphia for 2007. I found your chart extremely useful. Where are you gathering your data from? Meaning; when a new person is murdered each day, how are you finding out about it? I know there is the news, but are there any websites that post this data each day? email me back and let me know. emy111@gmail.com , thanks!
brandon said,
September 13, 2007 @ 2:22 pm
email me to with the same information as ed requested
andrew said,
September 13, 2007 @ 2:28 pm
Here is what I wrote in response to ed, and I should have posted it here:
Thanks for commenting at Malcolmxpark.org. This post explains where my data come from and includes links to the Inquirer’s resources.
http://malcolmxpark.org/?p=214
The Inquirer is a great resource for information about crime in the city, and I try to read it all the way through every day. It’s a very worthwhile 45 minutes/hour. Let me know how your project goes and keep reading!
eR0CK said,
September 14, 2007 @ 2:18 pm
Hi Andrew,
Just found this and I though I’d pass it along:
http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_257111251.html
First time in Philadelphia’s history that PA State Troopers are patrolling the city. At least the state (probably the Governor) has recognized Street is a lame duck.
Matt said,
September 27, 2007 @ 11:04 am
I know the Police aren’t doing their job to prevent these murders, but to an extent, what are they supposed to do? Go door to door and take everyones guns in the entire city? Then they’ll be criticized for encroaching on people rights. Post a cop on every corner in the city? The murder rate is everyone fault. #1, the murders, #2 the people that wont come out with information regarding the murders, and then the police for not stopping or catching. The PA State Troopers is a good step, though. Last year when Camden was #1 in murders, the NJ State Troopers started doing the same thing, and there was a pretty significant decrease in the daily murders.
andrew said,
September 27, 2007 @ 12:10 pm
Thanks for the comment Matt. I think murder is an extremely difficult thing to prevent. For one thing, it’s pretty rare when compared with other illegal acts. Some kinds of illegal activity, like drunk driving, for instance, is much more easy to predict. You know it’ll happen on roads, and you know about when it’s going to happen, so if you step up enforcement during those times of day in those locations, you can have a big impact on the problem. Murder just doesn’t happen like that, and the penalties for murder are pretty much as severe as they can be, so there’s no real incentive there. I do think more police–or even just more eyes and ears on the street–can have the biggest effect. It seems like murders often happen when otherwise trivial disputes escalate. It’s when such disputes are just getting rolling that murders are most likely to be averted. I make a point of calling the police anytime I hear or see a dispute going on in Malcolm X Park. So far, they’ve been extremely responsive and have defused situations that might have become much more serious. I think that kind of vigilance and a willingness to call 911 early and often will help stem the tide of murders in the city. Again, thanks for reading and commenting!
Stephen Smith said,
July 18, 2008 @ 6:03 pm
In response to the police aren’t doing their job to prevent murders. That is a rediculous statement. Police can’t stop murders. Think about it.. Guns just make it a little bit easier to kill someone from a distance. If one feels the need to kill another there is no force that can stop them. The only way anyone can stop murders is to take away everyones arms and legs then wire their jaw shut so they cant bite. Wake up bro! Oh yeah. Fuck the police.
acomplia no rx said,
October 17, 2008 @ 4:38 am
mycgqpt anewsp kfcn
venta de viagra said,
November 4, 2008 @ 2:01 pm
wfpghca qugdo avtjlhd faxrnd